Couch to 5K Oral Hygiene Program
6-Week Plan to Improve Your Oral Care at Home
Overview:
This is a 6-week program that uses principles from Atomic Habits to gradually build a comprehensive oral hygiene routine. The key to success will be small, consistent improvements that build on each other over time. The goal is to make each new habit feel effortless and automatic by stacking new habits on existing ones and adjusting your environment for success.
Week 1: Establishing Brushing Consistency
Goal: Brush your teeth twice daily for 2 minutes.
Actions:
Morning: Brush your teeth for 2 minutes as soon as you wake up.
Evening: Brush for 2 minutes before bed.
Atomic Habits Tips:
Habit Stacking: Stack brushing your teeth onto an existing habit. For example: "After I wake up (existing habit), I will brush my teeth (new habit)."
Environment Design: Place your toothbrush and toothpaste in a visible and easy-to-reach spot. Keep it in your bathroom, and perhaps even right next to your bed if that helps remind you.
Make it Obvious: Put a post-it note on your bathroom mirror that says, “Did you brush your teeth today?” or set a phone reminder to help reinforce the habit.
Tips:
Use a timer or play a 2-minute song to help you brush for the full time.
Some people find that brushing at different times of day is more convenient: right after lunch, at the end of the school day, etc. Consider stacking this habit with something you already do consistently AND where you will have the time and energy to complete it!
Start with no pressure on technique—focus just on brushing twice daily for 2 minutes.
Week 2: Adding Flossing
Goal: Floss daily to remove plaque from between teeth.
Actions:
Continue brushing twice a day for 2 minutes.
Start flossing once a day.
Atomic Habits Tips:
Habit Stacking: After brushing your teeth, add flossing immediately. For example, "After I brush my teeth (existing habit), I will floss (new habit)."
Make it Easy: Leave your floss right next to your toothbrush or in a place where you’ll see it, making it easy to grab and use immediately after brushing.
Reduce Friction: If traditional floss is hard to use, try floss picks, pre-threaded flossers or a water flosser. The easier it is, the more likely you are to stick with it.
Tips:
Consider putting your water flosser in the shower with you- who doesn’t want a couple extra minutes in the shower?! If that doesn’t work, try putting floss/floss picks in the center console of your car to use at a stop light, on your nightstand to do when you get in bed, or maybe even on the coffee table to floss while you watch tv.
If flossing feels challenging, start with just one or two areas to get the habit going and gradually add more.
Celebrate small wins: After flossing, give yourself a small mental reward like saying, "Great job!" to keep the momentum going.
Week 3: Adding Water Flossing
Goal: Introduce water flossing to remove additional plaque and debris.
Actions:
Continue brushing, flossing, and add water flossing once a day (right after brushing or flossing).
Start with low pressure on your water flosser to avoid discomfort.
Atomic Habits Tips:
Environment Design: Place your water flosser on the bathroom counter where you can easily see it after you brush and floss.
Habit Stacking: After you floss (existing habit), add water flossing. For example, "After I floss (existing habit), I will use the water flosser (new habit)."
Make it Satisfying: The gentle pressure and sensation of water flossing can feel refreshing. Enjoy the feeling of a cleaner mouth and reward yourself with a sense of accomplishment after each use.
Tips:
Keep the water flosser’s reservoir filled, so it’s ready to go.
Aim for about 1 minute of water flossing to get started.
Week 4: Stella Life Rinse and Probiotics
Goal: Add StellaLife oral rinse and probiotics to your daily routine.
Actions:
Continue all previous habits (brushing, flossing, water flossing).
Start using StellaLife oral rinse after brushing (morning or evening)- it is easiest to use this in your water flosser!
Start taking Probiora probiotic daily, preferably before bed.
Atomic Habits Tips:
Habit Stacking: After brushing your teeth (existing habit), add the oral rinse (new habit). For probiotics, "After I brush my teeth in the evening, I will take my probiotic."
Make it Obvious: Keep the StellaLife rinse and probiotics in plain sight (e.g., on your bathroom counter or next to your toothbrush) so you can’t miss them.
Make it Easy: Pre-pour the StellaLife rinse into a cup so it’s ready to go when you need it.
Tips:
Create a visual cue by placing the rinse and probiotics near your toothbrush.
Keep the rinse bottle and probiotic container where you can see them as a constant reminder.
Consider using the probiotic right after lunch as an after lunch “mint".”
Week 5: Rinsing After Meals and Drinks
Goal: Start rinsing with water after meals and drinks.
Actions:
Continue all previous habits (brushing, flossing, water flossing, rinse, probiotics).
Start rinsing with water after every meal and drink.
Atomic Habits Tips:
Habit Stacking: After eating or drinking (existing habit), rinse with water (new habit). For example, "After I finish eating (existing habit), I will rinse with water (new habit)."
Make it Obvious: Leave a water bottle on your desk or table so it’s easy to grab after meals. Having a glass of water nearby also serves as a visual reminder.
Reduce Friction: Keep a bottle of water handy to make rinsing easy and fast.
Tips:
If you can’t rinse immediately, set an alarm for 10-15 minutes after meals to remind you to rinse.
Pack your water bottle at night before bed so it’s ready to go in the morning!
Week 6: Nighttime Oral Appliances
Goal: Use nighttime oral appliances (e.g., retainers, mouthguards, snore guard, CPAP, mouth tape, etc) and clear your sinuses out with Xlear before bed.
Actions:
Continue all previous habits (brushing, flossing, water flossing, rinse, probiotics, water rinse after meals).
Spray several pumps of Xlear in each nostril, take several deep breaths and blow your nose. If you feel dry or extra stuffy, consider adding a very small drop of unscented baby shampoo to the bottle before using.
Insert nighttime oral appliances before bed.
Practice wearing appliances while winding down for bed to get more comfortable with them
Atomic Habits Tips:
Habit Stacking: After your evening routine (brushing, flossing, etc.), add inserting your appliance and Xlear use. For example, "After I finish brushing my teeth at night, I will spray my sinuses and insert my nighttime appliance."
Environment Design: Place your Xlear, tissues, and oral appliance where you can see it—next to your toothbrush or on your nightstand—to remind you to use it.
Make it Easy: Set up a system where you clean your appliance regularly, so it’s ready and easy to insert at night.
Tips:
Keep your appliance in a designated, clean container to avoid losing it or forgetting about it.
Before inserting the appliance, make sure your mouth is clean by brushing and flossing—this will ensure you have a clean environment for your appliance.
Recap of Key Habits to Build by Week 6:
Brush for 2 minutes, twice a day.
Floss once a day.
Water floss once a day.
Use StellaLife rinse once a day.
Take Probiotics daily.
Rinse with water after every meal or drink.
Use nighttime oral appliances before bed. Clear sinuses with Xlear before bed as well.
Additional Atomic Habits Strategies for Success:
Tracking Progress: Use a habit tracker (paper or an app like Streaks or Habitica) to mark off each task every day. The visual feedback helps reinforce the habit.
Celebrating Small Wins: Each time you complete a task (e.g., brushing, flossing, rinsing), mentally congratulate yourself. Even small rewards like saying "Well done!" or enjoying a cup of tea after your routine can make a big difference.
Reflection: At the end of each week, reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Make adjustments based on what feels difficult and try to reduce friction. For example, if flossing feels tough, try using a floss pick.
Accountability: Tell someone you trust about your goals or share your progress with an online group. You’ll feel more committed and motivated when others are aware of your efforts.
By using the Atomic Habits approach, this program builds upon existing habits, reduces friction, and makes each new action as easy and satisfying as possible. Over 6 weeks, you’ll steadily develop an effective oral care routine that feels natural and automatic.