Each new year, many of us set goals for self-improvement—like eating healthier, exercising regularly, or committing to better oral health care. However, by the time a few months have passed, those ambitious New Year’s resolutions tend to fade away. Why is it so challenging to maintain these changes, even when they’re important for our health? Let’s take a closer look at why behavior change is tough and what might hold us back from achieving our goals, particularly when it comes to our oral health.
The Challenges of Behavior Change
Behavior change is about altering our daily habits—small, seemingly insignificant actions that become routines over time. Whether it’s brushing your teeth twice daily or reducing sugary foods and drinks, these habits have a profound impact on our oral health. But changing behaviors that have become ingrained is not easy. Here’s why:
1. The Habit Loop: Many behaviors become automatic through repetition, forming a "habit loop" of cue, routine, and reward. For instance, if you’re used to having dessert every night, the craving for something sweet (cue) leads to eating dessert (routine), which results in a feeling of satisfaction (reward). Breaking these loops, such as swapping sugary snacks for healthier alternatives or remembering to floss every night, requires disrupting these well-established patterns.
2. Instant Gratification vs. Long-Term Benefits: We are hard wired for instant gratification over long-term rewards. Eating sweets or skipping brushing at night may feel like a small indulgence, but it adds up over time threatening tooth decay. On the other hand, maintaining a thorough oral care routine has long-term benefits, but these benefits are often not immediately visible—making it harder to stay committed.
3. Overcoming Obstacles and Forgetfulness: Life gets busy, and it’s easy to overlook changes we’ve resolved to make. Missing one day of brushing or flossing can quickly lead to skipping more, especially when we are tired or overwhelmed. Creating lasting change requires intentionality and persistence, even when it feels inconvenient.
4. The Impact of Environment and Social Factors: Our environment and social influences can significantly impact our behaviors. If your environment doesn’t support your goals—like if you don’t have a visible reminder to floss or if your family isn’t on board with limiting sugary drinks—it can be challenging to sustain the
change. Building a supportive environment and involving loved ones in your goals can make a huge difference.
What Happened to My New Year’s Resolutions?
When it comes to resolutions, many of us start strong but struggle to maintain momentum. You may have promised yourself to floss daily, replace sugary drinks with water, or schedule regular dental visits, but as the initial excitement fades, so does the motivation. Often, the goals we set are too ambitious without a clear plan, making it easy to get discouraged when progress feels slow or when we miss a day.
The key to successful behavior change is having a single specific goal and an action plan to reach that goal. That action plan details who is doing what, when, where, and how.
How MySmileBuddy Can Help
MySmileBuddy is here to support you in building healthy habits for you and your child -- habits that last. MySmileBuddy guides you to set a specific goal and develop an action plan to reach that goal. MySmileBuddy then stays along with you – sending text reminders that help you keep to your goal and action plan. Whether it’s brushing, flossing, or making healthier dietary choices, MySmileBuddy is your companion in preventing dental problems and keeping those New Year’s resolutions alive throughout the year. Start your journey towards a healthier smile today—one small habit at a time!
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