10 Easy Ways to Boost Your General Health
How to Make 2019 a Healthy Year
How to Make 2019 a Healthy Year
The New Year is coming and with it all the opportunity for change and growth that you could ever want. It’s normal to make resolutions at this time of year, promises that will improve your life, your relationships or your work. While you’re setting these resolutions, make sure to base some on improving your general health as well. And if you’re struggling to find resolutions that will help, here are some that will make 2019 a happy and a healthy year for you.
1. Eat the Rainbow
You probably already know that you need to eat more fruits and vegetables, but did you know that you should be eating a rainbow? Fruits and vegetables of different colours contain different phytonutrients, all of which are essential for good functioning. So if you eat the rainbow every day, you’ll be much closer to getting all the nutrition you need.
2. Laugh More
Laughter does more than make you feel happy. It also boosts your immune system, eases pain and can help fight allergies. This is a habit that children indulge in, but forget as they grow up. So set a resolution to laugh more each day, and seek out ways to make it happen.
3. Drink More Water
Your body is more than 70 percent water, which is why dehydration is so damaging. Water lubricates your joints, makes your skin better and even improves your oral health. So make sure that you’re drinking at least 8 glasses a day to really start seeing a difference in your general health.
4. Get Your 8 Hours
When you’re busy and stressed, the first thing to go is usually sleep. After all, what harm can it do to miss a few hours here and there? But thinking this way is a mistake. No matter what anyone says, your body can’t function at its best if you’re not getting enough sleep. This is time that your body needs to heal, to relax, and to prepare for the new day, so honour that and take the time you need.
5. Exercise Everyday
This doesn’t mean that you have to join a gym. Even a quick walk around the block every day will improve your mood and start toning your muscles. And no matter how busy you are, you can always find 15 minutes to gain these kinds of benefits.
6. Straighten Up
If you sit at a desk all day for work, chances are that your posture isn’t very good. Working at a computer tends to make people round their shoulders and hunch forwards. This can cause neck and back pain and cramps the lungs so it’s harder to breathe. Work on straightening and lifting. Not only will this improve your muscle tone, it will make you feel and look better too.
7. Get to Know Food Labels
You probably don’t really know what’s in your food. If you’re trying to lose weight and struggling, then start learning about the measurements and ingredients on labels. You’ll probably be really surprised which foods have a lot of hidden sugars in them.
8. Go to the Dentist
If your oral health is bad then it can affect your entire body. Infections from your mouth can travel throughout your system and cause heart or lung infections or even end up in your brain. So make sure you visit the dentist regularly and take care of your body from the mouth outwards.
9. Reduce Stress
Stress is one of the biggest killers in the modern world. It’s linked to heart disease, stroke and different types of cancers as well as to mental health disorders. So if you really want to improve your life, look at your stress levels and take steps to reduce or eliminate causes of stress. You can also adopt practices that reduce stress such as yoga or meditation.
10. Connect to Others
This is the big one. A recent Harvard study conducted over decades showed that the key to health and happiness is relationships. Not money. Not your job or car. It’s how connected you feel to the people and to the world around you. This is a truth that’s often forgotten in the modern world with devastating results. Loneliness or disconnection has been linked to mental health disorders as well as to a variety of physical diseases and problems. So have a look at your relationships. Do you have enough in-person relationships? How connected do you feel to those people? And if you have reasons to be concerned, then take steps to improve the relationships you have and to forge new ones. This is one change that you will never regret.
Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:
So have a happy and a healthy Christmas and New Year. And if you have a dental emergency over the festive season, contact our Emergency Dentist in Sydney. Our caring and expert staff are available 24 hours a day to help you with all your emergency dental needs.
Easy Ways To Improve Your Dental Health in 2018
Avoid Needing Emergency Dental Care
Avoid Needing Emergency Dental Care
Most of us make resolutions for each new year and chances are at least a few of them are still in effect right now. Sticking to those promises you have made to yourself can be tough, but not impossible if you are serious about them. Take a resolution to keep your teeth healthier for example. Sticking to that need not be hard at all, especially if you follow these basic tips...
Cut Back the Sugar, For Real This Time
Yes, we sound like a broken record on this issue sometimes, but we're OK with that as it is such an important piece of advice for the good of your teeth and gums. And the good of your body overall.
Unlike calcium, or proteins, or even carbohydrates, no-one's body actually needs sugar, we just really like it. It's also very hard to avoid sometimes as it is included in all kinds of processed foods that you'd usually consider savory. But it's terrible for your teeth and pretty bad for your body overall as well.
If you can't imagine life without the occasional sweet treat we do understand; neither can we. But make it just that, occasional, and get into the habit of checking food labels when shopping for added extra sugars that could be avoided by making a different choice.
Commit to Flossing Daily
In case you are questioning if we even need to floss anymore, check out our myth busting article 'The Great Flossgate Debate'. With that out of the way, we know flossing can seem annoying but it doesn't taken that long once you get the hang of it.
To make it easier to do, consider investing in some purse and wallet friendly pre-made flossers from the chemists or, if you want to push the boat out a bit further (and are a bit of a tech head anyway) you can pick up an electric flosser for around $50 from your chemist or dentist.
Learn to Love Your Dentist
Very few people will tell you that a visit to the dentist is at the top of their list of favourite pastimes. But it really isn't as scary, or as much of a hassle, as you think. Modern dentistry focuses around providing great oral care with a minimum of pain and as little fuss and extra expense as possible.
In addition to a six-month regular checkup you could consider making this the year you invest in your smile in a bigger way, whether that means a few whitening treatments or a bit of cosmetic dentistry that makes a bigger difference.
Emergency Dentist Sydney Says:
Resolving to take better care of your teeth in 2018 is a great idea to maintain or improve your oral and general health and to avoid unnecessary dental expenses, such as emergency dentistry. If you are looking for dental advice or considering cosmetic dental treatment, get in touch with us today.
Gum Disease & Your General Health
Do you happen to know what the leading cause of tooth loss is in Australian adults? Many adults often don't even know they have gum disease until it's almost too late...
Get the Facts Before It’s Too Late
Do you happen to know what the leading cause of tooth loss is in Australian adults? If you (logically) answered tooth decay then you aren't actually quite right. Although decay is responsible for more than its share of damage it is actually gum disease that wrecks the most havoc. And many adults often don't even know they have it until it's almost too late...
What is Gum Disease Anyway?
Gum disease - a condition that is also known by the posh scientific names of gingivitis and periodontitis - is primarily caused by plaque, just like tooth decay is. A plaque build up will damage the teeth but it won't stop there, it will damage the very structures that support the teeth, the gums doing damage that can, at times, be harder to treat than tooth decay is.
Gum disease can progress without ever showing any major symptoms. However all of the following can be big warning signs that all in the Land of Gum is not quite right:
Red, swollen or tender gums
Bleeding after brushing, flossing, or eating hard food
Gums that are recede or pulling away from the teeth, making teeth look longer than before
Teeth that feel looser than they did before
Persistent bad breath
Treating Gum Disease
As is almost always the case, when it comes to gum disease prevention is better than cure. But more about that in a minute. For now let's focus on how it's treated
Gum disease comes in two stages; gingivitis and periodontitis. When caught while it's still gingivitis treatment is relatively straightforward. Your dentists will use a process called scaling - a type of super intense cleaning - and then instruct you on how to improve your oral hygiene to help prevent the problem coming back. Gingivitis is totally reversible and so with prompt treatment your gums will return to their former healthy state.
Periodontitis is a bit of a different matter. It's usually more serious and calls for first more intensive scaling. You may need a local anaesthetic before the treatment and it may have to continue over the course of several treatments. In the most severe cases periodontitis may even need to be surgically treated by a dental specialist called a periodontist, one who has specialist in training in gum disease and its treatment.
Preventing Gum Disease
So we're sure by now that you've figured it out for yourself. Gum disease can be successfully treated by your dentist but it really would be a lot better - and easier - if it never came to that in the first place.
Daily oral hygiene is a big key to the prevention of gum disease. Teeth need to be brushed at least twice a day with a good toothbrush and a fluoride toothpaste. Smoking also increases the chance you'll develop gum disease so that is yet another reason to stop. Consider investing in an antibacterial mouthwash to be used on a regular basis and DO NOT skip those regular cleaning appointments at your dentist's office.
The Emergency Dentist Says:
Gum disease is nasty stuff, but it can be prevented, and if needed treated, very effectively with your dentist's help. You just have to make that first call.
The 'Green Food Diet'
After 10 plus years in dentistry we know prevention is the best medicine. In fact, what we do or don't eat can be very important when it comes to your smile...
Our Top 7 Green Foods For Good Health
At The Emergency Dentist Sydney we believe in holistic oral health care. General daily care, such as brushing and flossing, go a long way to your overall oral health but there's a lot more you can do to ensure a healthy smile. After 10 plus years in dentistry we know prevention is the best medicine. In fact, what we do or don't eat can be very important when it comes to your smile.
So, we say scrap the White Food Diet, green is the new white this St Patrick's Day. We have our top 7 picks for the most super duper green foods to keep your oral health and general health looking as good as your four year old self the first time you found a four leaf clover.
1. Green Tea
We recommend a good cup of green tea after any meal. Green tea is great for controlling bacteria in your saliva and lowering the level of acidity in it, which can cause cavities. It's also works great as an anti-inflammatory which is particularly useful in the control of periodontal (gum) disease. To top off green tea as a great choice for your oral health, it is also associated with good breath! We believe this is likely because the microbes that make our breath bad are broken down by the tea.
2. Snap Peas & Green Beans
The high fibre content of these crisp green vegetables help scrub your teeth, which breaks up the biofilm and plaque buildup on your teeth. This all happens while you chew, mimicking a toothbrush or flossing. The extra effort you put in to chewing these veggies speeds up saliva production, which keeps your teeth strong and helps digest your food. Overall, a great snack to help boost your smile.
3. Kiwi Fruit
Kiwi fruit has the highest concentration of vitamin C (along with strawberries). Vitamin C helps to prevent collagen in your gum tissue from breaking down and without collagen your gums become tender and open to disease and infection, such as periodontal (gum) disease. They're also a yummy fruit snack too.
4. Green Apples
One of your oral health's best friends. Green apples are a water rich food which stimulate saliva production and and keep your oral bacteria looking pretty good. Not only that, green apples are also a high fibre food which create a brushing or scrubbing effect when biting. This quite literally cleanses the surface of your teeth as you eat, wiping away bacteria. Ahh that fresh feeling after eating a green apple.
5. Celery
Similar to the kiwi fruit, celery is packed with Vitamin C. It's great to help fight against inflammation of your gums. The texture of the celery stick is also another great green food that acts as a mother nature's brush, cleaning your teeth as you chew.
6. Broccoli
Broccoli does two great things for your teeth, whiten and protect. A bad cook will serve you over cooked broccoli, boiled for too long. The key to this vegetable is to steam it. This cooks it just long enough for the florets (they're the dark green tops) to heat but also retain all of their vitamins. Broccoli contains vitamin C (see Kiwi Fruit), vitamin E, which helps aid the body in healing and has a good source of vitamin b2 and calcium, which help keep your teeth strong and white.
7. Avo
Who doesn't love an avo! Avocado's are great for helping your body absorb all of the good nutrients you need from all foods to help maintain good overall health. Not only that but they contain a great level of calcium, helping your teeth strong and vitamin B6, another essential nutrient which is good for your overall oral health.
The #EmergencyDentist Says:
We always recommend a well balanced healthy diet full of a variety of foods. If you're planning on celebrating St Patrick's Day this year have a Guiness on us and remember The #Emergency Dentist Sydney is always open for dental emergencies.
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