Do you inwardly cringe every time someone asks to take a picture with you? It’s not that you hate pictures; it’s just that you might be a little embarrassed by your teeth. You can improve your smile, and you don’t have to empty your bank accounts to do it. Here are six secrets to better teeth that are very economical:
1. Start with White Teeth
If you held a tissue up to your teeth, you would see that your years of enjoying coffee, wine and possibly cigarettes have crept up on your smile. Your first step may be to brighten that smile by seeking out the best teeth whitening in Sydney, Melbourne, or wherever in Australia you reside. New, freshly whitened teeth will encourage you to kick-start better dental habits.
2. Brush and Floss Regularly
Your new dental habits should include brushing and flossing regularly, in the correct order. Floss before brushing to pull all the particles and bacteria out from between your teeth so that you can sweep them away. Combine a fluoride toothpaste with brushing twice a day for 2-3 minutes each time, ideally, 30-40 minutes after a meal. Dental professionals explain that waiting allows your saliva sufficient time to neutralize the acid in your mouth.
3. Stay Hydrated
Numerous studies have conclusively shown that staying hydrated allows your saliva to work as it should. Dehydration makes your teeth vulnerable to acids, which can eat away at your tooth enamel. It also limits your saliva’s ability to cleanse your mouth from leftover food that could build up and turn into cavities.
4. Baby Your Teeth
You may have thought about how what you eat affects your body, but have you ever considered the effects of food and drinks on your teeth? If you wouldn’t feed a baby loads of sugar, carbonated beverages, fruit juice, gum, cigarettes, and alcohol, why would you do that to your teeth? They can’t withstand that kind of intake either. Sweets and sugars can build up acid in your mouth while carbonated beverages, fruit juices, and alcohol are full of acid from the start. Most of the foods that health-conscious people avoid are also worth avoiding due to the destruction they can cause in your mouth. A side benefit of watching what you put in your mouth is that the rest of your body will benefit as well.
5. Don’t Use Your Teeth as a Tool
Your teeth are not your pocketknife, beer bottle opener, or scissors. They may be the most convenient thing nearby to open a package, but they are not made for it. When you use your teeth to rip and tear and pop items that are not food you are setting yourself up to chip a tooth or open up a spot in your teeth for future decay. The end result of opening that bag of chips could be a costly bill or an unfortunate new smile.
6. Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Even though you are now brushing and flossing regularly, you can’t get in there like your dentist can to remove the built-up plaque and tartar. Nip small problems in the bud by visiting your dentist twice a year. The cost of professional cleaning is minimal, while the future savings could be astronomical.
You can improve your smile with minimal effort. Kick-start your new care program by whitening your teeth. Floss and brush daily in the correct order. Drink enough water to allow your saliva to work and be conscious of what you put in your mouth, food and otherwise. Most importantly, keep those dental visits regular!