Discover a few basics but useful tips to keep your teeth healthy…
We chomp, we chew, and we show them when we chuckle – we use our teeth for all sorts of activities. However, we take them for granted until a problem comes along, and at that point, we cringe at the possibility of pain to correct the problem. But this doesn’t have to happen. By following some basic dental care tips, you can make sure your teeth remain happy and healthy for a long time:
- Intended use only: They’re not meant for opening bags of chips, loosening knots, or crushing ice. Although your teeth are convenient for these tasks, these activities can chip or otherwise harm your teeth, which affect the actual uses for your teeth – like chewing, talking, and of course, smiling! Use your teeth only for these tasks and save your teeth from unnecessary damage.
- Brush, brush, brush – and floss!: From a young age, we’re told to brush our teeth after every meal. When selecting a toothbrush, make sure you use a bristle that is softer rather than harder so that it cleans each tooth without damaging your gums. This advice also applies when choosing a rotary head for your electric brush – and make sure you move it from tooth to tooth rather than moving it across the teeth. Additionally, replace your brush every three months to make sure it is in good working order, and be gentle when brushing. For water pick users – well, those implements can move bacteria back into your gums instead of removing plaque. And don’t forget to floss too – this action removes bits and pieces caught between your teeth that your toothbrush couldn’t remove, allowing for a second level of dental care defense. But take care not to, especially when using the wrong type of brush, as this can erode or tear up your gums.
- Tooth trauma: In addition to indulging in sweets and not brushing or flossing adequately or enough, there are other ways we can abuse our teeth. Homemade drugs, antibiotics, sugary foods, acidic foods, and even eating disorders can harm our teeth because the acids and other ingredients can wear away the enamel protecting our teeth, opening them up to pain, bacteria, and disease. Also, forget your bottled water – in many cases, it does not contain fluoride, as does tap water, which also helps protect your teeth.
- Say cheese: We are obsessed with physical perfection – teeth included. There are products intended to whiten your teeth to rid of them of stains from red wine, coffee, to name a few, but should you be using them? While they don’t really harm the teeth, it can take away focus in real dental care – which is flossing and brushing.
- Checkups: You do as much as you can, but there is no replacement for professional dental care. Make sure you get regular checkups. If there is a minor problem taking root, your dentist can catch it before it becomes a major, and painful, problem.
We only get one set of natural teeth in this lifetime, so why not take care of them the best you can. Being aware of what you eat and drink, taking basic care, and seeing a professional on a regular basis will help ensure that your teeth – and your gorgeous smile – will last a lifetime.
