5 Simple Ways To Safeguard Your Smile
Posted on: 9 April 2015
Having a bright smile helps to increase your self confidence. You should make your oral health a priority in your daily life. Luckily, that is easy to do. Here are five simple ways to safeguard your smile.
Drink water after you eat a snack.
Staying hydrated is a good idea in general. Drinking water also helps to protect your teeth against potential tooth decay. Drinking water after eating a snack or drinking a sugary beverage helps to wash away chromogens and food residues left behind on your teeth. It also helps to loosen any stuck food that you eventually remove while brushing your teeth. People who drink more water also tend to have better smelling breath.
Sip green tea to evade gum disease.
The American Academy of Periodontology thinks that drinking green tea is excellent for your gums. Green tea is rich in an antioxidant called catechin. Catechin helps to reduce inflammation in the body. In a study, patients who drank green tea showed an overall reduction of the symptoms of gum disease, including bleeding upon probing and gum inflammation. Green tea can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Supplement your hygiene routine with a water pick.
Oral irrigation is a gentle way to boost your oral hygiene routine. Using a water pick, you aim a stream of water from your sink onto your gums. This stream of water helps to loosen and remove food particles that are trapped between your teeth and gums. If your gums are particularly sensitive, perhaps after having an oral surgery, you can also substitute flossing with oral irrigation for a while.
Add more dairy to your diet.
Dairy foods such as milk, yogurt, and cheese help to fortify your teeth. Mechanical stresses such as chewing and acids from your food degrade your teeth over time. The phosphorus and calcium in dairy foods help to replace the minerals you lose as your teeth get worn down. Dairy is also very basic and helps to buffer the effects of acid on your teeth.
Add fluoride to your water.
Fluoride is immensely helpful for your oral health. It helps to protect your teeth from being degraded over time. Fluoride helps to remineralize your teeth as they are degraded by the acid produced by plaque. Most urban water supplies already have fluoride added to them. You can also buy bottled water that has fluoride or rinse your mouth with fluoridated mouthwash.
Make sure to speak with your dentists before making any big changes to your oral hygiene routine, including any of those mentioned here.
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