Many of us associate
a healthy smile with white dazzling teeth.
However, there is so much more to having a healthy mouth than white
teeth. Today, I will share my secrets to
a healthy, white smile.
#1- Brush your teeth.
Preferably, with a fluoride containing
toothpaste. I know many people who brush only 1x a day, in the morning, wanting
to approach the world with a fresh mouth.
We eat, and drink all thru out the day.
Nighttime brushing is the most important time of the day to brush;
otherwise we leave our snacks decomposing in our mouth over night (yumm). This creates both halitosis (bad breath) and
also leads to decay.
The average person spends less than 30 seconds brushing
thier teeth. It is recommended we brush
at least 2 minutes each brushing session.
#2- Bristles matter. Never use a hard or medium bristle
toothbrush. It is only recommended by
the ADA to use a
soft bristle
toothbrush. Scrubbing with a hard abrasive
bristle toothbrush destroys your enamel and gums. Once your enamel is gone, it’s gone forever,
so brush gently. A great investment is
an electric toothbrush; they truly make a huge difference in the health of your
mouth. I am a huge
Philips
Sonicare fan, and unfortunately they don’t pay me to promote their
product. My whole family uses this
product.
Oral-B
also makes great electric toothbrushes.
No, you don’t have to buy the most expensive electric toothbrush to get
the job done. You can purchase a $20
toothbrush and its still going to do a lot more than your manual
toothbrush. Spending a little more on
your toothbrush may mean spending less at your dental visits.
#3- FLOSS, FLOSS,
FLOSS. Flossing is one of the most
important steps in maintaining a healthy mouth.
People are living a lot longer than they used to, and one way to ensure
your teeth last your entire life is FLOSSING.
I guess it’s no longer a secret! It takes less than a minute to do and
removes smelly food, plaque and bacteria between the teeth that a toothbrush
can’t reach. WHAT’S THAT SMELL? Just smell your floss after taking a vacay
from flossing. EWW! Floss comes in many
styles, find a kind that works for you.
#4-
DON’T BRUSH, right
after eating or drinking. When
consuming foods, the pH of our mouths drops creating a more acidic environment,
thus helping to break down and digest foods.
This acidity causes our enamel to soften. Therefore, it’s not ideal to brush right
after a meal. We don’t want to scrub
away our enamel. Rinsing with water can help neutralize the pH of our mouth
faster. Wait at least 15-20 minutes to brush, following a meal. Xylitol
containing gum/mints such as
Spry Trident is a great
alternative if unable to brush following mealtime. However, this doesn’t mean you get to skip
out on nighttime brushing.
#5- Drink more WATER and less flavored drinks. Diet sodas, flavored waters, and sport drinks
contain citric acids, dropping the pH in the mouth making you more susceptible
to cavities.
#6- Eat it Fast!!!
If your going to eat a bag of candy, or package of cookies it is better to eat
them all at once than to snack on them all day.
The pH words again, are you seeing a recurring theme. When pH levels drop, your susceptible to
decay. Therefore, if you eat all the candy at once 20-40minutes later the pH
levels have time to recover and neutralize.
#7- Nuts &
Cheese. Are high in fat, protein,
phosphates and calcium they promote a healthy mouth and keep the mouth at a neutral
pH.
Though nuts have had their fare share in breaking teeth. So snack carefully.
#9- Avoid all forms of tobacco. Tobacco creates a non-ideal environment in
the mouth and the use can lead to bad breath, heavy stain, gum issues, decay
and cancer.
#10- Visit your
dentist office. Decay typically does
not hurt until the decay has grown pretty big.
Your dental office can take x-rays typically 1x/yr. to look for decay
between the teeth or any other concerns.
It is usually best to take care of any issues sooner than later. A small area of decay can grow into a large
area of decay. A small area of decay is
a lot easier and cheaper to fill with a small filling than a large area of decay
that may need a root canal, crown or total extraction. YIKES! Your dentist office will also check for oral
cancer. Oral cancer is on the rise and
you don’t have to be a tobacco user to get it. And, lastly even if your hygiene
is impeccable you still need to have a professional cleaning, their instruments
can reach tiny areas and below the gum line getting any deposits of tartar you
may have missed.
#11- Getting a white
smile. If you would like whiter
teeth, it is best to start the whitening process following a professional
dental cleaning. Of course, it’s more
important to take care of any cavities prior to starting the whitening
process. Many great products are out on
the market that can get your teeth white as a professional grade whitener. However, if you choose to use store bought
whitening strips, it may take a little longer to see optimal result, but cost
your wallet a lot less. The choice is
yours. Many people have sensitivity
during the whitening process, if this occurs limit the time and frequency your
teeth are in contact with the whitening agent.
You should consult your dentist before starting the whitening process.
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