This year it is very important to stay healthy. With the pandemic that has taken place, it seems really taboo not to be healthy. If you get a cold or sick, then most people will quarantine you and not allow you to work. If you do go to the hospital for a serious reason you are going alone and stuck with no moral support. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has brought fear and simply awfulness to our lives. What this means to me is that all aspects of my health need to stay strong in order for me to simply avoid going to hospitals or dentists and avoid all those possible times of exposure to people who are there because they have COVID-19. So that is why in 2020 I am working on protecting my teeth and dental health all around in order to have one area that I don't have to worry about as much.

The first thing that most people don't think about when it comes to their dental health is what they are eating and drinking and how that affects their teeth. One big thing you can do to help keep your mouth safe and clean is to simply drink more water. I know it sounds silly, but water is a great way to rinse your mouth constantly and to help get those harmful bacteria and plaque off of your teeth. It is easy to keep a water bottle next to you and to simply take a few sips here and there. It is something that I like to make sure I do after drinking coffee. Coffee is so highly acidic and breaks down your teeth very quickly. It also stains them really quickly because it is eating your enamel and the dark color of the coffee stains. But if you are drinking water right after coffee or in between sips you can help lower this detrimental effect. It is also a great way to fight dehydration as well.

Water hydrates you and that has a big benefit when it comes to your dental health. If you are hydrated then your body should be producing the correct amount of saliva. Saliva is a natural mouth cleaner or basically your body's own mouthwash. So by staying hydrated you are able to keep rising and cleaning your mouth and that is a win all around.

Try using a specialty water bottle to ensure you are doing this. I like to have a nice stainless steel one for work and a Nalgene bottle for other times. It keeps me healthy in many ways and is easy to refill and saves me money from getting thirsty and buying other sweet drinks.

Now it also seems silly to say but you must brush your teeth at least twice a day. Most people simply don't do it or don't brush properly. It only takes two minutes but most people brush for like 30 seconds once a day and call it good. This leaves lots of harmful food particles and tartar causing bacteria to form. So take the time to brush enough and correctly to get all those things out of your mouth. It is also important to floss as well. Each time I floss I get some extra food out that is breaking down my teeth. Imagine not doing that every and having it always eating away at your teeth! So work on your routine, and I know that I will too.