Get The Brightest Smile With These Dental Care Ideas

When you were young, it was so easy to flash a smile – all your baby teeth were aligned and they were so small not one tooth jutted out. But when puberty came in, all those little teeth fell off to make way for permanent ones. This is when it becomes harder to smile.

Different dental issues arise as you grow. Some teenagers and adults had to put braces just to keep their teeth aligned, while some had trouble removing their wisdom tooth. And as more and more dental issues arise, it’s not hard to end up with tooth decay.

All these teeth and gum issues affect how you see yourself and how you interact with other people. There’s no denying that when you aren’t confident with your teeth, you will also have a hard time talking to other people for fear that they might judge your teeth. To avoid moments like this and to be able to flash a great set of strong and healthy teeth, you should follow these tips for dental care ideas.

 

1. Brush thoroughly, properly, and frequently.

There are three things you should remember when you brush your teeth. See this here for a short and simple guide.

First, brush thoroughly. Start at one side brushing up and down and then slowly make your way towards your front teeth. Do this again on the other side until you end up in the middle again. Brush the tops of your teeth on the side and then on the other. Don’t forget that you have to brush the tops of the upper bracket because there can be leftover food stuck on them.

Second, brush properly. The proper way of brushing your teeth is to stroke the toothbrush up and down. However, you should do this lightly because you don’t want to damage your gums. Proper brushing also includes the tongue. Use a tongue scraper (some toothbrushes have them at the back of the bristles) and brush your tongue from back to front.

Lastly, brush frequently. Brush at least twice a day during the morning and then before going to sleep. This makes sure that there is no food stuck in your teeth that might get converted to acid that eats up the enamel on your teeth.

 

2. Avoid acidic foods and drinks.

Acidic foods are responsible for tooth decay. When you have a lot of acid in your mouth, it damages the enamel on your teeth or they can cause cavities. Acid also softens the teeth making it more susceptible to infection and breakage.

Food and drinks that have a lot of acids include processed foods, alcohol, milk, rice, caffeinated drinks, and artificial sweeteners. Contrary to what high-calcium milk says, too much milk can be counterproductive to having healthy teeth.

Moreover, lessening your caffeine consumption can be a great help in preserving your teeth. In short, avoid tea and coffee also because these drinks have dyes in them that affect the color of your teeth. If you drink a lot of these beverages, you might want to limit them to a cup a day because you don’t want to have yellowish teeth.

 

3. Munch on healthy food.

If you haven’t noticed by now, your diet affects your dental health. Eating salty and sugary foods will only bring a lot of damage to your teeth because these ingredients get converted easily into acid by the bacteria found in your saliva. As much as possible, limit eating junk foods, milk chocolate, and candies for better teeth. They aren’t going to help you become any healthier so it’s best to cut them out of your diet.

Instead, prepare salads and fruits so that you have something to munch on when you feel hungry.

 

4. Use a mouthguard in sports.

If you do contact sports, it is a great idea to wear a mouthguard. At first, it will look and feel silly, but it will definitely protect your teeth from anything that might break it. This is especially important for MMA and boxing activities.

Your teeth may be strong, but once they get damaged, it takes time and a lot of money to repair them. Surely, you don’t want to wait for the moment when you can’t speak and smile properly because of damaged, missing, or yellow teeth. Before things get worse, take proper care of your pearly whites.