Everyone loves a white, shiny, and eye-catching smile. Beyond just looking attractive, however, white teeth are often a strong sign of excellent mental health. Many steps you’ll take to keep a white smile will also help you keep your gums and teeth immensely healthy. To help you achieve both of these important changes in your oral health care routines, here are ten tips for making your teeth white and shiny:
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1. Schedule Regular Dental Cleanings
Nothing is as important for keeping your teeth white as professional, and frequent dental cleanings. Scheduling yourself a cleaning every 4 months is recommended and will do wonders for keeping your teeth as white as humanly possible. As a bonus, this will help you stay on schedule for the recommended minimum of 2 dentist visits a year that medical professionals suggest. Regular dentist appointments will help you take any steps needed to keep your smile perfect in the future as well.
2. Never Smoke
Smoking is incredibly grating on your overall health, but your teeth and gums often experience some of the most brutal and immediate damage. Many people are aware of the yellowish tint that smokers’ teeth have, so to avoid this unattractive quality, quitting any smoking habits becomes an absolute must. In addition to keeping your teeth white, this important habit change will help prevent gum disease.
3. Always Practice Strong Dental Hygiene
Understanding how often, and how long to brush your teeth (twice a day for two minutes) is critical for whitening your teeth. Flossing and oral wash are also highly useful in keeping your teeth healthy and pearl-white. If your dentist recommends additional at-home dental care habits, be sure to follow them as well. Otherwise, your teeth will be much more likely to begin yellowing.
4. Use Mouth Wash Regularly
Beyond using a mouthwash during your brushing sessions, using it whenever your mouth feels dirty, or when you’ve had a heavy meal that feels stuck between your teeth, will ensure that you eliminate plaque that causes yellowing. Finding a doctor-recommended brand of mouth wash is key, as there are many different potential choices to choose from, and some types of mouth wash can differ massively in the benefits they offer.
5. Consider Using Baking Soda
Although they sometimes fall out of fashion, some health trends need to return. One such trend is the use of baking soda to help whiten teeth. The higher the concentration of your baking soda, the more of a white shine you’ll get from applying it to your teeth. Watch an instructional video before performing this step, however, to ensure you’re using baking soda in a healthy, effective way.
6. Avoid Large Amounts of Sugar
Few dietary choices are as bad for your oral health as high sugar intake habits. Whether you’re eating tons of candy or an excessive amount of high-sugar foods, these habits can lead to cavities and other health problems. Additionally, sugar is a common cause of the type of plaque build-up that leads to yellowing teeth.
7. Take Advantage of Naturally Teeth-Whitening Foods
Some foods have naturally occurring effects that will help whiten your teeth. Vegetables and fruits that have a specifically crunchy nature (such as carrots and apples) are fantastic for your oral health, and help exercise your teeth in a way that fights plaque build-up and other yellowing effects as well.
8. Buy Whitening Toothpaste
The majority of toothpaste products are more specifically designed for overall oral health, rather than a heavy focus on making your teeth whiter. If you want to add an extra level of whitening power to your daily routine, be sure to buy a separate whitening-centric toothpaste next time you go to the grocery store.
9. Use Home Whitening Strips
Whitening strips are one of the newest over-the-counter ways to give your teeth an almost-immediate, pearl-white shine. Finding ones that are dentist recommended will help you get the most shine for your buck, and will also ensure that you’re using a product that remains healthy for your oral health.
10. Brush Your Tongue
Many Americans fail to realize how important it is to keep your tongue. To achieve this, you must thoroughly brush your tongue from time to time. Doing so will help wash away bacteria that can make you sick, and this process will also ensure your teeth stay much, much whiter as well.
Here’s to a Perfect White Smile
With these ten tips, keeping your smile white and bright becomes simple. Even if you have a lot of yellowing build-up on your teeth currently, these ten steps will help you achieve your dream style very quickly. Thankfully, each of these ten steps will also ensure you have excellent oral health.
