Everyone wants a beautiful smile. But the health of your smile matters too. And your smile’s health is much more than just what it looks like. Luckily, it doesn’t take much effort to ensure that your smile is both beautiful and healthy. In fact, the same things you’d do to make your smile beautiful are the ones that will also keep it healthy.
Create good oral hygiene habits
It’s the same thing you hear every time you visit Clock Tower Dental: brush twice daily. Brushing at least twice a day is crucial to oral health, but if you can brush after each meal, it’s even better. Go beyond just brushing, however. Floss at least once a day. Use mouthwash after each brushing. Scrape your tongue to eliminate bad breath bacteria that linger there and can negatively affect your teeth.
Eat tooth-friendly foods
Just as there are foods that are nutritious and non-nutritious or that help you lose or gain weight, there are foods that are tooth-friendly and not tooth-friendly. Not tooth-friendly foods are candy, sugary sodas, and other sticky or sugar-filled foods. Tooth-friendly foods include fresh fruits and veggies, unsweetened coffee and tea, sugar-free gum, and cheese.
Drink plenty of water
Plain old water has so many benefits for your dental health and your overall health. Water rinses away food that is stuck to and between teeth, keeps your mouth moist so bad breath is reduced, and doesn’t eat away at the enamel of your teeth as sugary sodas do. Plus, drinking more water will also help decrease the staining that coffee, tea, wine, and the occasional soda leave behind.
See the dentist regularly
One of the best ways to have a healthier smile is to visit the dentist before you’re in pain. Pain, sensitivity, and tenderness are all signs of trouble – and often the first indicator that people rely on to schedule a dentist appointment. Instead, schedule your twice-annually visits for exams and cleanings so you can catch trouble before it begins or gets too far along. Skipping visits leads to root canals instead of simple fillings, tooth extractions instead of root canals, and ultimately a smile that is neither as beautiful or healthy as it could be.
Ask about prevention and correction of potential problems
While you’re at the dentist, talk about how you can prevent or correct problems. For example, you might ask about dental sealants to prevent food and bacteria buildup on your teeth and therefore, prevent cavities. Or if you’ve noticed your mouth seems drier than normal or drier than it should be, you can ask about dry mouth treatments so that you have plenty of saliva that helps protect your teeth and gums from damage.
Your teeth give your face shape and structure and a beautiful smile. But they’re also functional, allowing you to tear, rip, shred, and chew food. At Clock Tower Dental, we care about all aspects of your mouth’s health. Request an appointment or call us today to schedule an appointment at our office in Franklin Square so your teeth can be both beautiful and healthy.
