Featured: 10 Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy

Teeth are one of the most important things in your body, aside from your vital organs. Our teeth allow us to chew through some of our favourite treats, so why would we mistreat them? Healthy teeth are incredibly easy to attain, and every smile looks better with a full mouth of pearly whites! This week’s Ten Ways article focuses in on how to keep your teeth healthy, no matter how old you happen to be!

Swap Carbonated Drinks for Water

It has been well-documented over the years that carbonated drinks are full of sugar. This sugar can stick to your teeth and when it does, plaque present in your mouth can transform sugar into acid. This acid can erode your teeth gradually over time, which can be a death sentence for your mouth. To avoid this, try swapping out carbonated drinks with water or your favourite sugar-free alternative. Save the pint-glass of Coca Cola for a special occasion!

Brush Twice a Day

This seems like a basic thing to do, but it is one of the most important things that you should do to keep your teeth healthy! When you eat, drink or even chew gum, plaque builds up on your teeth and can cause serious problems if left to its own devices. Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride-based toothpaste will stop plaque from building up into a problem.

Clean Out Your Mouth With Mouthwash

While brushing can remove most of the problematic bacteria from your mouth, using a mouthwash afterwards can get to those difficult-to-reach places where bacteria may lurk and cause issues later on in life. Using an alcohol-free mouthwash can further prevent problems related to your teeth and gums, such as gum disease or enamel erosion.

Floss Regularly

There is nothing more embarrassing than having a conversation with someone, just to realise that you’ve had a toast crumb from your breakfast stuck in between your front teeth, there for all to see. Flossing not only prevents these embarrassing moments from happening, but will also further protect your teeth from erosion and gum disease.

Chew Gum

It may sound counter-productive but chewing gum can actually help your teeth. As long as you choose a sugar-free gum, you will do no harm to your teeth. In fact, the production of saliva that happens when you chew gum allows your mouth to neutralise acids produced after eating a meal. It isn’t a tried and tested method and by no means should it be used as a substitute for brushing your teeth regularly, but if you’re a regular chewer, it’ll be good news that you can keep chewing gum without worrying about the long-term effects on your teeth!

Avoid Cigarettes

Everyone has their vices, and some people smoke. It’s a fact accepted by many, but it can be damaging to your teeth. If you can, avoid cigarettes at all costs as the combination of chemicals and substances in a cigarette can build up on your teeth and cause serious problems, not to mention yellow your teeth. If you’re a smoker and aren’t quite ready to give up, then there are toothpastes on the market designed specifically for getting rid of these chemicals on your teeth.

Don’t Open Things With Your Teeth

Take it from someone who managed to chip their front tooth whilst attempting to get a mouthpiece out of a trumpet –using your teeth for anything other than chewing food is dangerous and can cause serious problems with your teeth in later life. Even ripping open packets or pulling a needle through thread with your teeth is a potential risk, as the smallest chip can turn into a dental issue later on in life.

Protect Your Teeth in Potentially Dangerous Situations

There’s a reason why boxers wear mouth guards whilst fighting. Even one blow to the mouth can knock a tooth out and this can be problematic for several reasons. If you’re going to be doing anything where you could potentially cause injury to your face, invest in a mouth guard and use it. It may seem a little overboard, but being safer is better than spending the evening having your mouth examined in the local accident & emergency department!

Get Immediate Medical Help for Any Injuries

Once again, this is speaking from personal experience. Any injuries, fissures, chips or cracks to your teeth should be checked out as soon as possible to avoid a more serious problem in the future. A small chip may seem like nothing to begin with, but over the years you may find that it continues to crumble and becomes quite a serious and noticeable chip. Similarly, small cracks may extend across the surface of the tooth and cause quite a lot of pain. Any issues with your teeth should be seen to as soon as possible by a dental professional.

Get Regular Check-Ups

And finally, regular check-ups are a must. Although you may think everything with your teeth are fine, a dental professional may be able to spot things that you didn’t notice. Whether it’s just being told to clean your teeth more thoroughly or finding that you have a cavity that needs fixing, your dentist will be able to tell you how best to care for your teeth.

Special thanks to Goddess_Of_Muse and elixir for editing!