10 Tips For A Healthier Smile.
You eat right, you exercise and you keep a spotless house, but how can we guarantee a healthier smile?
Here are some handy tips guaranteed to keep your smile healthy and bright.
- Use an electric toothbrush with soft bristles
Electric toothbrushes with an automatic alternating or rotating action were found to be more effective than manual toothbrushes. We recommend using a toothbrush with soft bristles as people tend to apply too much pressure when brushing. Soft bristles help to protect your gums and teeth.
- Brush Your Teeth
One of the best habits you can have for a healthier smile is to brush your teeth. Tooth decay and gum disease are some of the most common oral health issues that Australians face. As much as 42% of children have cavities. Nearly 92% of Australians will have had tooth decay by the time they reach adulthood. Gum disease affects millions of people. Both of these conditions lead to tooth loss and declining health. The Australian Dental Association recommends that you brush your teeth at least twice a day (if not after every meal) for two minutes at a time. Use fluoride toothpaste that is ADA-approved so you know it is safe for use and that it will help you fight off bacteria that causes cavities.
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- Don’t Forget the Floss
Did you know that you miss 40% of your tooth surfaces if you don’t floss your teeth? This can spell disaster for your oral health if you consistently skip flossing. It only takes 2 minutes or less. Get about 18 inches of new floss each time, which allows every few teeth a few inches of floss. Wind the floss around your pointer or middle fingers, leaving about 2 inches to floss with. Floss all the way up into your gum line and then gently scrape the teeth as you go.
- Avoid biting into hard things
To protect your teeth from chipping, it is essential to avoid chewing on hard items such as pens, toothpicks, or ice. All of these can wear your teeth down if you chew on them continuously.
Our dentists also recommend cutting up hard foods instead of biting directly onto them. This is an easy way to look after your smile.
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- Protect your teeth during impact sports
Many tooth-related accidents happen in high impact sports. To save your teeth from chipping, breaking or fracturing, our dentists recommend wearing a custom-made mouthguard during contact sports. A custom-made mouthguard fits your teeth and gum line perfectly making it extremely comfortable to wear.
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- Dental Sealants and Fluoride
Prone to getting cavities? Many children will get dental sealants to help prevent cavities easier. Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are painted on the teeth to seal them from food and bacteria that cause cavities. These can be placed on the adult teeth if you are prone to cavities. To help prevent cavities every day, ask about fluoride treatments. Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral that helps strengthen the teeth against bacteria. You can use fluoride toothpaste or get fluoride in gels or foams.
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- Cut Out the Sugar
The most common cause of cavities is sugar, as sugar mixes with bacteria in your mouth to make plaque. That plaque is what sits on your teeth all day and erodes your tooth enamel. The more sugar you eat, the more plaque you make, and the higher your chances are for cavities. Just like the rest of your body, your teeth receive many benefits if you have a healthy diet. The Australian Heart Association recommends that the daily limit of sugar should be 9 teaspoons for men, 6 teaspoons for women, no more than 6 for kids and 0 for infants. Reduce your sugar and see how your oral health issues improve!
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- Replace missing teeth
A missing tooth does not only affect the aesthetics of your smile. It can cause a variety of problems. If you are missing a tooth in the back, for example, this may shift your chewing forces to the front. This can then cause the front teeth to flare out and create unwanted spaces in between them. In addition, a missing tooth can also affect the jawbone structure and gum tissues.
Several treatment options such as dental bridges, dental implants and dentures can replace missing teeth and get your smile back on track.
- Watch For Specific Foods
Just have to have that coffee in the morning? How about that energy drink or your night time glass of wine? All of these drinks will do different things to your teeth. Some will stain your teeth, while others will erode the tooth enamel. The latter happens when you drink anything that has either sugar or acids in it. Anything with carbonic acid (carbonation) in it or citric acid will place acid on the teeth that erodes the enamel and causes decay. If your teeth are weak or get cavities often, switch to milk or water only.
Some foods may have loads of sugar you may not be aware of. Those include breads, pastas, jams or jellies, yogurt, diet/snack bars, diet shakes, cereals, snack crackers and dressings. Always check food labels to see what ingredients may harm your teeth.
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- Don’t brush right after eating
It is a widespread misbelief that you should brush your teeth right after having a meal or soft drink. The logic behind the thought is easy to understand. People believe the food they consumed attacks their teeth. Hence, brushing them right after a meal would minimise the damage. This is, however, not the case.
When we eat or drink, bacteria in our mouth feed on these fluids and food particles. These bacteria deposits stick to your teeth and produce acid. The acid then attacks your tooth enamel, the protective layer on your teeth.
This means, your enamel layer is weakened by the acid right after a meal. If you then decide to brush your teeth, you risk further weakening the protective layer on your teeth.
Our dentists recommend drinking plenty of water after a meal to reduce acid levels and rinse away leftover food particles. You can also chew sugar free gum to increase saliva production and thereby decrease acidity levels. Wait for at least 30 minutes before you brush your teeth.
Book an appointment today
Let our team at Tower Dental help you to look after your smile. Book your preventative dental appointment on (03) 9817 7144 today.