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10 Ways To Improve Your Smile and Oral Health
Want pearly whites and a healthy mouth? Follow these ten steps to improve your oral health!
- Brush and Floss Daily
The most important thing you can do to improve your oral health is to brush and floss your teeth regularly. No matter what, you should brush your teeth twice a day, morning and night. Make it a part of your daily routine, no excuses!
2. Visit Your Dentist Regularly
Schedule an appointment with your dentist for a check-up twice a year. A dentist will make sure your oral health is good and will notice the early signs of any dental problems that you may not have noticed.
3. Drink Lots of Water
We’ve all heard the 8 glasses of water a day rule, but you may not know that drinking water can also improve your smile! When you drink water, it helps to wash away leftover food and promotes the production of clean saliva to help combat bad breath. Plus, water helps to keep your teeth and gums happy to prevent tooth decay and gingivitis.
4. Stop Smoking!
Besides the other harmful effects of smoking, like cancer, smoking can be detrimental to your oral health. Smokers are more likely to have gum disease and tooth decay because smoking increases the amount of dental plaque in your mouth. Smoking also cause bad breath and stains your teeth. These stains can sometimes be polished off but they can also soak deep into the enamel becoming permanent.
5. Address Any Dental Pain Immediately
Many people tend to ignore any dental discomfort because they think it will go away on it’s own, or that it isn’t serious. Big mistake! You’re feeling pain for a reason and it could be a sign of a more serious issue. If you are experiencing any aches or pains in your mouth you should consult your dentist or oral surgeon immediately.
6. Get Other Health Conditions Under Control
When your body is strained or working hard to deal with one health condition it is difficult to treat another one. If you have a serious health condition, such as high blood, diabetes, or obesity, your oral health is being affected. It is important to take care of your overall health and that will help to improve your oral health.
7. Avoid Drinking Soda & Eating Processed Sugars
Soda is extremely damaging to your teeth and oral health. The sugar in soda combined with the bacteria in your mouth creates an acid that attacks your teeth causing tooth decay. If you won’t completely eliminate soda from your diet, then you should at least limit how often you drink it. It is also a good idea to reduce the amount of sugar and processed sweets you eat because they increase your risk of getting cavities. Plus sweets, like hard candy or caramel, cause cause teeth to crack or break. It may be delicious in the moment but definitely not worth it in the end.
8. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Many fruits and vegetables, like carrots and apples, can help to promote healthy teeth and gums. Crisp fruits and raw vegetables are known to help clean plaque from teeth and freshen breath. Not only are they a tasty treat but they’ll keep you healthy too!
9. Don’t Use Your Teeth as a Pry Bar
Although this step may seem obvious, many people make the mistake of opening bottles or packages with their teeth when they could easily use a bottle opener or scissors. Teeth are fragile and can easily be damaged when trying to pry something open.
10. Purchase a Quality Toothbrush
Most dentists and oral surgeons will recommend their patients use an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes are known to clean more effectively than manual brushing. If an electric toothbrush is not in your budget than it is important to replace your toothbrush when necessary. Anytime the bristles on your toothbrush start to spread or thin out they become completely ineffective and you know it’s time for a new toothbrush.
If you have any questions or concerns about your oral health contact Dr. Elias and Dr. Matt Paonessa to schedule an appointment, 914-873-0045.