If you’re looking to prioritise your oral health and keep your smile feeling happy and healthy, you’re in the right place! We’re here with four tips to help you maintain a healthy smile that makes you feel nice and confident, as well as protecting your natural teeth for years to come. From dentist visits to your oral health routine and what you eat and drink, we’ve got it all covered.
Visit The Dentist Every 6 Months
Firstly, the best thing you can do for your oral health and to keep your smile healthy is to visit the dentist every 6 months. Many oral health problems can go unnoticed for a while without you experiencing any symptoms, which is why going every 6 months is so important. Your dentist will be able to do a full check of your teeth, mouth and gums, identify any issues that you might have missed and also start treatment for any issues early to make the treatments less invasive and also cheaper.
Of course, if you experience any problems, make sure you go to see your dentist more often than 6 months, however this is a good guideline to keep your smile happy and healthy. You should also visit the hygienist when you are there, to remove any plaque build up and to reduce the chance of you experiencing tooth decay and eventually loss.
Eat Plenty Of Fruits and Vegetables
Something else you can do to keep your smile bright and happy is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Not only are they high in a wide variety of different vitamins and minerals, which are great for all elements of your health, but when you eat crisp fruit and raw vegetables, like apples, pears, carrots, celery or peppers, as you have to crunch down on them, they naturally clean your teeth to remove plaque or leftover food!
Fruits can be quite sugary, so if you are eating a lot of fruit, just make sure to have a good glass of water afterwards to wash away the sugary residue. Eating apple slices with peanut butter makes a great snack, or pepper and carrot sticks with hummus or tzatziki is another great one. No matter how you eat them, include some fruits and veg into your diets and your teeth will thank you for it!
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Brush and Floss Twice A Day!
As well as visiting the dentist every 6 months, one of the most important things you can do for your oral health is to brush and floss twice a day. You should brush with an electric toothbrush ideally, taking your time and brushing for 2 minutes each morning and evening. Make sure to use a toothpaste that contains fluoride as this helps to strengthen the enamel on the teeth. You should also be flossing, as this removed plaque and food build up between the teeth that your toothbrush misses, which can easily build up over time to cause tooth decay.
Flossing twice a day is ideal, but if you only manage to do it once, make sure to do it in the evening so any food residue from the day isn’t between your teeth overnight. When you visit the dentist, they should give you some specific advice about where you might need to pay more attention when brushing or flossing, as well as giving advice about the specific products you should be using depending on your oral health.
Swap Sugary Drinks For Water
Sugar is bad for our teeth, as when we consume sugar in foods or drinks, it combines with the natural bacteria in our mouths to produce an acid, which over time breaks down our enamel and causes tooth decay. This can lead to you needing treatments such as fillings and root canals, and in some cases, you will need to have teeth removed completely.
So, if you drink a lot of sugary drinks (fizzy drinks, fruit juices or caffeinated drinks with lots of sugar or syrups), then you should try to swap a few of them a day with a glass of water. Water is great for our teeth, as it helps to wash away some of the residue in the mouth throughout the day to reduce plaque build up between when you are able to brush your teeth. You then also have the added benefit of it meaning you’re drinking less fizzy drinks! So, at the minute say you drink 5 sugary drinks and 2 glasses of water, swap that to 3 sugary drinks and 4 glasses of water. This will make a big difference to your oral health.
Final Thoughts
With a few simple changes to your routine, you can keep your smile happier and healthier! Investing time and some money in your oral health is so important, to help you keep your natural teeth for as long as possible and to keep you feeling confident in your smile. The most important thing you can do is visit your dentist in Leamington Spa, London or LA at least every 6 months!