Wellness 03 July 2021

How to Keep Your Teeth Sparkling White

keep teeth cleanPhoto by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

What’s not to like about clean teeth? Keeping up on your dental hygiene gives you a brilliant white smile and helps promote oral health. If you want your smile to dazzle in front of the camera each and every time you say “cheese,” then you’re going to want to take brushing, flossing, and regularly trips to the dentist seriously. The key to sparkling teeth is diligence and good habits. These five components of dental hygiene are a good place to start.

Brush, Brush, Brush

When wondering how to get white teeth, you might expect some secret tactic that is bound to be a game changer. There is indeed a single step that will seriously brighten your smile, but it turns out it’s not a secret at all. The most important habit to form is simply that of regularly brushing your teeth.

You should brush your teeth twice a day, once in the morning to eradicate tartar and again before bed to clean the day’s food and plaque away. Don’t think it’s okay to skip a brushing and make up for it later. In this case, the timing really does matter.

While brushing is an unquestionable positive, try not to brush more than three times a day, as you run the risk of damaging your teeth’s enamel.

The benefits of diligent brushing are as varied as they are numerous. You’ll reduce the risk of gum disease, cavities, and tooth decay (especially if you use fluoride paste). You’ll also remove harmful plaque. All this cleanliness will ultimately result in your teeth staying whiter, but if you really want your smile to shine you can try whitening toothpaste. Results vary, but it certainly can’t hurt.

Flossing

Daily flossing is another vital component of dental health, and yet it has failed to join brushing in becoming a steadfast component of most people’s daily routine. This is a shame, because it really does wonders for staving off many dental maladies.

For one thing, digging little chunks of food from between your teeth can avoid painful toothaches. It also removes tons of harmful germs and bacteria.

Like brushing, flossing helps prevent the build-up of tartar. Think of flossing as the complementary weapon in the fight against dental disorders. Just as a Revolutionary War soldier wouldn’t have taken out their musket without a bayonet, you shouldn’t brush without flossing.

Flossing has the additional benefit of helping to prevent bad breath. That constant stink coming from between your lips might not show up in pictures, but it will leave quite a mark on the photographer. Avoid any such issues by making floss a prominent weapon in your dental arsenal.

Remember to always be gentle with your gums, since harm to this tender area is one potential problem with flossing.

Get Your Teeth Cleaned at the Dentist’s

Think of your glistening white teeth as a shimmering red Ferrari. With a luxury car, it is your responsibility as the owner to take care of it every single day. You wax and buff, you use high-quality fuel, you check the engine. But no matter how much tender, loving care you give your vehicle, it still makes sense to bring the Ferrari in sometimes for professional attention. The exact same thing is true for your teeth.

You might do an excellent job with your flossing and brushing. Your teeth might feel great, and you might be sure there’s nothing a dental hygienist could do to make them any better. All the same, the prudent play is to go in for a cleaning every six months.

No matter how well you brush and floss, there is still likely to be some plaque and tartar buildup that you haven’t managed to get to. The dental hygienist has special tools and professional expertise, both of which will serve to give your teeth the truly deep clean they need.

Regular trips to the dentist are also an important preventative measure. Cavities and similar issues can go undetected until an expert gives a thorough examination. Oral cancer and other diseases can be deadly, and you might not notice their development yourself. A dentist can detect problems in time to treat them, long before it becomes too late.

Avoid Smoking (And Vaping)

Smoking is famously horrible for most of the body, and the mouth is no exception. Gum disease is the most common dental issue associated with smoking.

Among the many harmful effects that smoke has on the body is a tendency to weaken the immune system. This in turn makes it harder for the body to fight off a nascent infection. Once the infection has developed, smoking also makes it harder to treat. The infection is likely to increase in severity and could ultimately result in receding gums and missing teeth.

The chemicals in tobacco smoke also cause teeth to yellow. This makes it virtually impossible to acquire the glistening smile you’re hoping for. If you’re a smoker wondering how to get white teeth, look no farther than dropping this harmful habit.

Take Your Diet Into Account

What you eat and drink can have a major impact on the health and color of your teeth. Sugar turns into acid in the mouth, which then does a number on the enamel of your teeth, often leading to cavities. Acidic fruits and beverages like (tea and coffee, for example) can have a similar effect. While outright avoidance of these favorites is not necessary, you can help your teeth by limiting your consumption.

Drinking plenty of water is also good for your teeth (and the rest of your body). Not only does water contain none of the sugar or acid prominent in many beverages, but it also gives your teeth a quick rinse that will help wash harmful substances away.

Clean teeth are not just aesthetically-pleasing. They’re also essential to your health. With these five tips in mind, you can keep your teeth sparkling.