8 Tips for a Healthy Smile

Everyone desires to have a beautiful and healthy smile since it’s the first thing that people notice when they meet. However, it’s important to understand that you cannot achieve a healthy smile overnight. You should observe the following tips if you want to create and maintain a healthy smile.

Brush Your Teeth Regularly

It’s always a good practice to brush your teeth regularly, at least twice each day, and the right way. Unfortunately, most people don’t know that there is a proper way of brushing teeth, which ensures all food particles are removed out of the teeth crevices.

The best way to brush your teeth is to make sure that you place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums. Then, begin to brush the outer surfaces of the teeth in short and gentle strokes. Ensure that you apply this technique for the rest of the teeth—from the front incisors to the molars.

When brushing your molars, keep the toothbrush at an upright position as you brush the teeth up and down. Moreover, make sure that you brush your tongue, and then rinse the toothbrush after brushing. However, you should avoid rinsing your mouth immediately after brushing your teeth, as this will wash away the calcium and other medical properties of the toothpaste.

Also, make sure that you flush your mouth with a mouthwash after brushing. A mouthwash has several benefits, as it has high fluoride levels, something important for good oral health. Moreover, it’s ideal for people with extra-sensitive teeth.

Besides, using mouthwash assists in reducing acidity in the mouth, as giving the outer layer of your teeth vital minerals. It also assists in cleaning areas that are hard to reach, something great for anyone who cannot use dental floss. However, you should note that using mouthwash is essential for good oral health, but you should combine this with other best practices discussed below.

Quit Smoking

Any form of smoking will make your teeth stain. Although the staining caused by smoking is superficial and can be removed, it can also infuse deep into the enamel, making it hard for your teeth to be polished.

Moreover, smoking can damage your gums, making them regress, thus developing large pockets around your teeth. As a result, this makes your teeth look longer, and also creates some dark spaces between the teeth. Dentists also argue that smoking makes it a challenge to rectify gum-disease related problems.

Reduce Your Intake of Food with Low Acidity and Increase Food High in Calcium

It’s important to understand that certain types of food will make your teeth rot faster compared to others. Examples of these foods include fruits with high acidity like oranges and pineapple, sugary foods, and soda.

However, dentists recommend that you eat foods with high calcium levels, like fish, yogurt, and other dairy products, as well as leafy greens. If you like taking coffee and tea, consider taking unsweetened coffee or tea. Furthermore, you should make sure that you rinse your teeth after taking your tea or coffee to prevent your teeth from staining.

Choose Your Toothbrush Wisely

Always buy a quality toothbrush and make sure that you replace it every three  months. Most dentists recommend high-quality electric toothbrushes, as they are better when it comes to removing plaque, as well as stimulating your gums compared to ordinary manual toothbrushes.

If you have a habit of brushing your teeth hard, consider buying a toothbrush with soft bristles. Mostly, dentists recommend toothbrushes with soft bristles. Such a toothbrush allows you to brush your teeth longer to effectively remove any plaque and stimulate your gums. Besides, don’t forget to rinse your toothbrush with hot water once you finish brushing your teeth. This is essential as it assists in killing any germs on your toothbrush.

Floss Your Teeth Daily

Flossing your teeth helps remove the plaque between the teeth and from beneath the gum lines, where an ordinary toothbrush cannot reach. You should also note that flossing your teeth every day helps to prevent both gingivitis and decay. When not taken care of, tartar and plaque can build up under the gum lines, leading to periodontal disease. This is mostly associated with tooth loss and bone destruction.

When flossing your teeth, you must understand how to do it correctly and safely. The best way to do it is to wrap the dental floss firmly around your finger and insert it gently in the spaces between your teeth. Then, slide it up and down gently two or three times under your gum lines. In case you notice any signs of bleeding, it’s possibly because of gum disease or gingivitis.

If you floss daily and experience any form of bleeding, it might be related to mild to moderate gingivitis. Thus, you should expect the bleeding to stop within two weeks. If you notice that you have a challenge with flossing your teeth, consider using an oral irrigator. An oral irrigator sprays mouthwash or water on your teeth and gum line, thus removing any food or plaque below the gum line and between your teeth.

Schedule Appointments with Your Dentist at Least Twice a Year

Allowing your dentist to clean your teeth at least twice a year assists helps promote good oral health, thus giving you that beautiful smile that you’ve always desired. Having irregular or no cleanings risks periodontal disease, which can lead to unsightly receding, bleeding, and swollen gums. Periodontal disease is also associated with certain health conditions like stroke, heart attack, obesity, sleep apnea, premature births, as well as diabetes.

Apart from removing tartar and stains from your teeth, your dentist can also do a complete checkup for other medical conditions such as oral cancer and blood pressure. Since most of these medical conditions can make themselves evident in your mouth, your dentist will ensure that you are aware of them and that you get the necessary medical attention.

Drink Lots of Water

Did you know that drinking water is the best thing for your body and a smile? Well, now you know! Water assists in flushing your teeth, as well as preventing tooth decay. San Diego dentists recommend drinking tap water since it has the right amount of fluoride. At times, bottled water doesn’t have the right amount of fluoride, and it might contain none at all.

Drinking water with the right amount of fluoride discourages tooth decay and also promotes good oral hygiene. Regular consumption of sugary or acidic drinks, on the other hand, increases the chances of tooth decay. Athletes are at a higher risk of tooth decay and other dental-related diseases since sports drinks have high sugar and acidic levels.

Reduce Your Tea, Coffee, and Red Wine Intake

As we highlighted earlier, certain drinks, such as tea, coffee, and red wine can stain your teeth. And, just like smoking does, these drinks can cause a superficial stain to build up. Even though your dentist can easily polish off these stains, such drinks can lead to internal staining of the enamel.

One way to reduce the risk of tooth staining and decay is by using a straw when drinking coffee, tea, or red wine. Moreover, consider rinsing your mouth thoroughly with water to prevent them from staining.