<![CDATA[At The Dental Spot, patients are always asking our dental staff how they can keep their teeth healthier and whiter without having to spend a lot of money on treatments. There are a number of things you can do to promote healthy teeth and gums right at home that are easy and inexpensive. Here are our 10 top tips for keeping your pearly whites healthy and sparkling.
- The number one way to keep your teeth healthy is to brush frequently. We recommend that patients brush at least twice a day, once in the morning and once before bed using toothpaste with fluoride.
- Don’t keep your toothbrush for too long. You should change out your toothbrush at least every three months. If you use an electric toothbrush, change out the head of the brush at the beginning of each new season to prevent bacteria build up on the brush.
- Floss often. It doesn’t matter if you floss before or after you brush, just be sure to do it. Keep floss at work and in your car in addition to the medicine cabinet so you can get food and bacteria out of your teeth after mid-day meals and snacks.
- Using an anti-cavity mouthwash can not only help kill bacteria in your mouth, it can also aid in giving you fresh breath. Try to steer clear of mouth rinses containing alcohol because they can dry out your gums, encouraging the presence of bacteria.
- If you want whiter teeth, try to cut back on the amount of coffee, tea and red wine you drink. If you just can’t give them up, then immediately after you finish your drink, rinse your mouth out with water to prevent bacteria from clinging to your teeth.
- In place of whitening procedures, you can try rinsing with apple cider vinegar, which removes stains and kills bacteria. After doing so, brush as normal.
- Another stain fighting agent is baking soda. You can use a little baking soda on your toothbrush just like you would toothpaste once a week to help remove dark stains and discolorations.
- Those who want to give the appearance of whiter teeth can do so by getting a little sun, or, at least, the appearance of sun. Ladies who use a facial bronzer or wear darker lipstick will create contrast which makes the teeth gleam whiter.
- We often think about our teeth when we brush and our gums when we floss, but forget completely about our tongue. Next time you go to the store to buy toothpaste, pick up a tongue scraper too. They are cheap and get rid of more bacteria than just brushing your tongue.
- Eating crisp foods that require a lot of chewing, such as carrots and apples, actually helps clean your teeth as you eat them. They are also lower in sugar content which can help reduce cavities.
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