Why preventative dental care should be part of your New Year’s resolutions
We’re almost at the end of the first month of the New Year and already 2026 has packed some punches. As we roll into the new year, it is always a good time for reflection and setting up your goals to make this year a memorable one!
There is always room to grow and more to achieve and experience so starting the year off with a positive attitude can make a huge difference. As a dentist, our profession is an extremely intense one, especially being the practice owner of Northvale Dental! But this year one of my goals is to practice more effective “self-care”.
Now what is “self-care”?
It seems to be a phrase more commonly used and mentioned in the modern day no matter your age.
To me, self-care means ensuring that I’ve considered my own needs and to take care of myself first, in order to be my very best and be the best for my patients.
It is easy to ignore early signs of fatigue and stress and just get swept up in the every day regular flow. This can obviously be very detrimental in the long term and may mean that you can’t perform at your optimum.
One of my main new year resolutions for this year is to prioritise rest and recovery.
Rest is just as important as work, even if it’s just for 5 minutes.
Some of the ways I will aim to achieve this includes, ensuring I get a good night of sleep, plan to stretch daily and avoid working on my days off and when I’m away from the clinic.
As a dentist, I’d recommend including preventative dental care in your resolutions for 2026!
So what should your dental care goals be at the beginning of every year?
- Check if your toothbrush, or toothbrush head is not more than 3 months old. If it is, get a new one!
- Ask yourself, have you seen a dentist for a preventative check up and dental clean in the last 6 months? If you’re overdue, check out your calendar and book that appointment in.
- Be conscious of hidden sugars and your general sugar consumption (whether in drinks, snacks, protein shakes…). Have a goal to reduce your sugar intake and see the health (and dental) benefits!
As always, keep smiling and may we all have a great year in 2026.
Dr Safinah