Pro Tips for a Healthier Smile ...

Chelsie

Pro Tips for a Healthier Smile ...
Pro Tips for a Healthier Smile ...

When you have pearly white teeth and fresh breath you can’t help but smile, and these tips for a healthier smile will have you grinning in no time. It seems like some people are blessed with great teeth, while others are prone to having dental problems. However, many dental problems can easily be prevented with proper care. Gum disease, for example, is caused by plaque, which is a sticky film on your teeth that harbors bacteria. Yet, good dental habits can easily prevent plaque from building up and causing dental problems. You just need to follow these tips for a healthier smile to keep your gums and teeth looking fabulous.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Please subscribe for your personalized newsletter:

1. Brush Teeth Properly

One of the easiest tips for a healthier smile that I can offer is to brush your teeth twice a day, every day. It sounds so simple, but it can make a huge difference. Brushing your teeth helps remove plaque by cleaning the surface of your teeth. The trick is to brush correctly. You should hold your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle to your gum line and brush using short back and forth strokes. Also, you should brush each tooth 15 to 20 times gently with a soft bristle toothbrush. Being gentle with your teeth is key because hard strokes can tear gums. If you follow all of these steps, you will be well on your way to a healthy smile.

2. Floss

Flossing every day is a great way to keep your teeth and gums healthy. You should always use waxed floss, and just like brushing, you should floss gently. When you floss be sure to take time and go between each tooth using a rubbing motion as you go to the gum line where you will go around each tooth. It may seem like this will take forever, but it is worth it. Your teeth will look great, and as an added bonus you could be extending your life. Did you know flossing has been proven to add years to your life? What a nice extra benefit!

Frequently asked questions

3. Tongue Scraper

Not everyone thinks of cleaning their tongue. However, it is important to give your tongue a little attention because it harbors a lot of bacteria. While you can brush your tongue to clean it, a tongue scraper is much more effective. You can get them fairly inexpensively at the drug store, or you can use a spoon like I do. Spoons make great tongue scrappers, and I love that I can throw it in the dishwasher when I am finished cleaning my tongue.

4. Choose Toothpaste Wisely

It can be so easy to just pick up the least expensive toothpaste at the store and call it a day. Yet, it is important to choose your toothpaste wisely. For instance, many types of toothpaste have glycerin in them, which actually does more harm than good.

Glycerin gives toothpaste a pasty feel, but it coats the teeth and prevents them from remineralizing. Like your bones, your teeth are composed of minerals, which are delivered to your teeth, in part, through your saliva. If the minerals can’t get in your teeth, you won’t have strong teeth. So, read the label and make sure the toothpaste is glycerin free. If you are feeling ambitious you can also make your own toothpaste using coconut oil, baking soda, xylitol, and peppermint oil.

5. Mouthwash

After you have brushed your teeth, flossed, and scrapped your tongue, you should complete the process by rinsing your mouth with a mouthwash. One of the best and least expensive mouthwashes is diluted hydrogen peroxide. It is great at killing bacteria. Another choice for mouthwash is a fluoride rinse. Fluoride is proven to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities. It is also great if you have nerve pain from exposed dentin. It fills in the tiny holes that lead to the nerves, which stops the pain from occurring. A highly recommended fluoride rinse is ACT brand. Even my dentist recommends it, and I trust him a lot.

Related Videos about

6. Treat Teeth with Care

Sometimes it can be really easy to use your teeth like a tool. I know I have used my teeth to open packages and remove tags from clothing on more than one occasion. However, your teeth are meant for chewing food. They are not meant to be used as tools. Using your teeth to open packages, or even chewing on hard candies can create tiny fractures in the enamel. Over time, this can lead to large cracks and large problems. Clenching and grinding your teeth can also cause problems. Often, people clench or grind their teeth when they are stressed, which means you may need to find an outlet for your stress like yoga or meditation.

7. Diet

Sugary and acidic foods can do a lot of harm to your teeth. Sugar feeds bacteria in the mouth, which can cause plaque and associated gum disease to worsen. Acidic foods, like citrus, can cause enamel erosion. To keep your teeth healthy you should limit the sugary and acidic foods in your diet. Instead of having a candy bar when you feel tired in the afternoon, reach for some celery with peanut butter. Not only will your teeth thank you, the protein in the peanut butter will give your energy a sustained boost.

Having a healthy smile is important, and, thankfully, it is easy to achieve. Having good dental care habits will ensure your teeth stay healthy and beautiful. Taking just a few extra minutes a day to follow these tips for healthy teeth and gums will keep your smile bright. What tips do you have for a fantastic smile?

urmc.rochester.edu, besthealthmag.ca

Feedback Junction

Where Thoughts and Opinions Converge

Thank you

Dentists are your friends. They notice things that you might not. Check ups can make a world of difference in your dental health. My mouth was awful until I manned up and got in a dentist chair.

Great advice you have shared with us.You can restore your smile with porcelain or resin veneers. Dental implants can help return your self confidence as you deliver a full smile with beautiful teeth. Having dental whitening services done professionally can help restore and rejuvenate your smile. Keep it up with those ideas.

1.) Proper brushing includes a 2 minute (30 second per quadrant) twice daily regimen. Also, with the toothbrush angled toward your gums make small CIRCULAR motions. Back and forth movement can be too forceful and rigorous and eventually lead to abrasion. 2.) Proper flossing is done by using a gentle seesaw type motion to get floss through contact and then forming a C shape around each tooth. There are also tons of other interdental aids available for those with open contacts, ortho, prosthetics and so on. 3.) Improper tongue cleaning is the biggest cause of halitosis. 4.) Fluoride is essential for healthy teeth. Fluoride is the reduced form of fluorine which is the 13th most abundant element on Earth. It is naturally found in water, soil, plants and even the air you breath. Although possible, It could be more likely that your reaction was caused by another ingredient. Many detifrices contain sodium lauryl sulfate (that's what makes it all foam-y) which can be pretty harsh. 5.) Peanut butter as a snack isn't horrible but there are much better choices. Avoid acidic foods and fermentable carbohydrates and both increase caries risk. Also avoid sticky snacks since those are going to stick and sit on your teeth longer. Finally, home care and your oral hygiene regimen is very specific to each individual based on their caries risk assessment, nutrition and diet, history of caries, ability to use certain mechanisms and current oral health state. This is something that should be discussed with your dental hygienist at regular check ups according to your indicated recalls based on your risk. You and your hygienist can discuss your current habits and develops a plan that works best for you.

@Zanna thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it! I read up on it a little bit and I found that baking soda is a natural whitener! And it eliminates bad breath when used regularly. I have heard of using peroxide, but never considered trying. Thanks again!

A few weeks ago I found out that I was allergic to fluoride. And before I found that out I had breakouts around my mouth constantly! So I started using fluoride free tooth paste and I have seen amazing improvement in not only my skin but my teeth too! I was telling my cousin this because she also struggles with those types of breakouts and she said that fluoride free tooth paste isn't very whitening. Do you have any solutions that don't contain fluoride?

Ugh its really annoyin coz i want to have a nice smile but ive got really goofy teeth so i tend to pout in pics but i eant to smile please help

Great and smart tips! I hope all you gals out there follow this advice!

Related Topics

7 Tips on Running with a Stroller ... 7 Marathon Training Tips for Novice Runners ... 7 Very Useful Tips on How to Handle Rejection ... Fear of Public Speaking Check out These Ways to Improve Your Presentation Skills ... 7 Tips to Improve Your Communication Skills with New People You Encounter ... 7 Ways to Use Google Tools to Maximize Learning ... 7 Easy Steps to Improving Your Handwriting ... 7 Tips for Making Charitable Donations in the US ... 9 Tips if Youre New to Yoga ... loreal riche stylo eye timeless spark