June is all about Men’s Health. At Worthington Hills Dental, our very talented Dr. Rich Flores talks with us about his secrets to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, mouth, and mind. He even reveals a few things about himself that you would never guess!! Read on for all you need to know about men’s health and Dr. Rich Flores!

Men’s Health Month:
Do you feel like your oral health directly relates to you physical health? And, do you really floss everyday?!

Absolutely – having a healthy mouth correlates strongly to good home care habits, routine, discipline, etc which usually spills over into all parts of a person’s overall life and health. It all starts with good habits!

Yes, I floss everyday! But I will admit I am human too and do get lazy at times. We’re all guilty. Make it part of your daily routine and it’s just like any other part of a normal day.

What is the best thing a guy can do to keep his smile attractive?

Build a routine and stick to it. At the very least, brushing in the morning when you wake up, and before you go to bed. Lots of water and/or sugar-free gum in between meals if you can’t brush. Also, get an electric toothbrush! Quickly becoming the gold standard in homecare – I recommend them to all my patients.

What are some tricks and tips you do to stay healthy and fit while maintaining a very busy work and life schedule?

Going to sound like a broken record but: building a routine and sticking to it! For me, 2-3 days of heavy lifting plus one of cardio activity / sports. It’s almost always the same days of the week, every week! Discipline! Whether it’s more or less for a person doesn’t really matter in my opinion – just that you’re being consistent, and that it’s a routine you know you can do every week, fits into your schedule, no questions asked, no excuses!

What is your secret workout strategy? Is there a certain workout you enjoy more than others?

For workouts, Ipod/phone loaded up with pumped up music. There isn’t a workout I particularly enjoy more than others, but I am in men’s / coed sports leagues. Right now I play in a coed softball league, later this summer will be sand volleyball. I always look forward to our weekly games. It’s a welcome break during the work week and a great way to hang out with friends, while also staying active.

Your go-to body fuel?
I always keep a granola bar handy. If I’m dragging, good ole fashioned coffee.

Jay Z or Calvin Harris?
I know Calvin Harris is super hip and the big name in pop music these days, but for me, Jay-Z for sure (even though I think he’s well past his prime). “Hard Knock Life Vol. 2” was one of the first CDs I owned growing up!

Browns or Bengals?
Please.. I was born in raised in Cleveland. Brownies baby. Will they ever be good? Who knows, but I’m no fair-weather fan. I watch them every Sunday they play, no matter how bad they may be.

Steak or Chicken?
Steak. Ribeye is my favorite – the most flavorful cut of them all.

Book or podcast?
Podcasts. My favorite is Hey Windy with Brian Windhorst, Cleveland Cavaliers beat reporter. I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t read for pleasure much since high school and undergrad. And back then, it wasn’t really for pleasure, more because I had to for class! I did however enjoy almost every book I was required to read, and am definitely open to suggestions.

How do you feel about the Cavs?
City of Cleveland’s best chance at a Championship since 1964, and thus far in my lifetime since the 1997 Indians lost to the Florida Marlins in Game 7 of the World Series. That’s all I’ll say – I’m a notorious jinx, especially when it comes to predicting Cleveland sports. Fingers crossed.

You have one day left to live…..what meal are you having?!
Philly cheesesteak, french fries, coke. I could die a happy man.