All of us want perfectly healthy and beautiful teeth, but we often fail to realize that some of the common habits people tend to have prevent the teeth from looking their best. Here are some tips on how to keep your teeth healthy, clean and wonderful.
1. Watch out for stains!
Remember: Anything that can stain your white shirt can stain your teeth, too. If you like to drink a glass of red wine every now and then, you might want to replace it with a glass of white wine. Not only will red wine stain your teeth, but it can permanently change their color. Also avoid smoking, gravy, carbonated colored drinks and any kind of food that contains artificial colors.
Those who still insist on consummating such products should at least drink a glass of water immediately after they are finished or, even better, wash their teeth.
2. Try eating foods that help keep your teeth clean
There is some food that will keep your teeth clean as you eat it. If you cannot brush your teeth right after your meal, choose to eat an apple for dessert, as it will keep your teeth clean and white. Some other options are carrots, popcorn and celery.
3. Brush, floss and rinse
You need to remember that plaque is always present in your mouth and teeth – and you need to get rid of all the bacteria found in your mouth if you don’t want to develop some sort of a gum disease, tooth cavity or bad breath. Brush, floss and rinse with a mouthwash, at least twice a day. When you brush your teeth make sure you don’t forget to brush the tongue as well – it is equally important.
Massage your gums with a toothbrush while cleaning your teeth and don’t floss too hard, as you might injure your gums. Finish with rinsing your mouth with a mouthwash for thirty seconds, and you won’t have to worry about gingivitis or toothaches.
4. Do you need a new brush?
Brushing too hard and forgetting to change your toothbrush every few months will make it look like you have been using your brush to clean the whole house. But, more important are those things that you are not able to see with the naked eye – all the bacteria accumulated on your brush over time. This is why you need to change your brush regularly, because using it for a long period of time will only bring more bacteria to your mouth.
5. Invisalign
Crooked teeth can be a result of genetics, so there is nothing you can do to prevent them – you can only deal with the problem once it appears. Truth be told, crooked teeth can undermine one’s self esteem, but many young people still fail to address the problem, because they hate the idea of wearing braces. The best solution in this scenario is invisalign, or invisible braces. Of course, these are also adult braces, so if you want to have a beautiful smile while still correcting crooked teeth, then invisible braces are definitely the way to go.
6. Use alcohol-free mouthwash to rinse away bacteria
Mouth washing comes as one of the three parts of cleaning your oral cavity – it can reach all those places where your toothbrush and floss cannot. Always pick an alcohol-free mouthwash for rinsing your mouth. Alcohol found in mouthwashes will only make the tissue on your gum line dry, creating the perfect conditions for producing more and more bacteria. Read the descriptions on the product carefully in order to avoid getting tricked.
7. Say yes to TEA, but no to BLACK TEA
Some of the ingredients found in tea, such as fluoride and flavonoids, prevent further multiplying of bacteria, as well as bacteria staying on the tooth surface. Drinking herbal teas will help your mouth stay hydrated and it is a perfect replacement for a cup of coffee that will almost certainly stain your teeth. Try to avoid black tea because it tends to change the color of your teeth even after a single cup.
8. Avoid candies
Sugary foods will accelerate tooth decay and is one of the main causes of tooth cavities. Try to eat some fruit of sweet vegetables instead, as its acidic components are less damaging than acids in refined sugar. If you care about the appearance and the health of your teeth, avoid sweets, sugar, cakes, etc., because they can have a highly damaging effect on tooth enamel. Both children and grownups should control their intake of refined sugars if they wish to avoid dental problems.
9. Drink plenty of water
Drinking water will benefit your whole body, not only your teeth. Softer skin, better immunity, no headaches, normal functioning of your digestive system and white teeth – what more could you ask for? In order to achieve this, drink around seven to eight glasses of water daily. Also, choose to drink water after meals, so that you could wash away all the food leftovers that may produce bacteria. This will also be helpful to those who have problems with bad breath, as most problems are usually caused by all the bacteria found in your mouth.
Contributed by http://www.beachsidedental.com.au/
