Royal Oak and Birmingham, MI
Having a healthy, glowing smile is imperative to one’s confidence. Laughing, talking, and grinning freely with no subconscious insecurity haunting the back of your thoughts is incredibly freeing. It’s nice to have straight teeth, but if they are stained and yellow, are you even going to show them off? Here are some helpful tips to ensure your spring smile is as white as the winter snow!
Increase Water Intake
Instead of enjoying sugary, caffeinated, highly acidic drinks after a long day, drink water to keep your teeth as white as possible. Not only does drinking water mean you’re not consuming all the aforementioned enamel destroyers, but it is also a way to clean your teeth.
When you drink water at any point after you eat, you are helping to clean your teeth by washing off bacteria and leftover food. Which, if left sitting on your teeth too long, is what causes stains, decay, plaque build-up, and cavities. However, you still need to brush and floss daily. While drinking water daily is healthy for your teeth, it also keeps your body hydrated without added sugars, dyes, and acids.
Proper Oral Hygiene
You’ve probably heard about the importance of a daily oral hygiene routine, but these actions are imperative to having a gleaming smile! Brushing your teeth twice a day helps to remove build-up that causes cavities, stains, and even gum disease. If you don’t brush your teeth and allow food to sit on them for longer than 24 hours, it can cause stains and yellowing. This is also why it is incredibly important to floss your teeth daily as well, as it helps to remove the bacteria that hides between your teeth, which causes bad breath and increases your risk of gum disease.
Eat Healthy Foods
If you are someone who finds themselves constantly consuming sugar or highly acidic foods, you may want to kick that bad habit now. Sugar is one of the top reasons for tooth decay and staining since sugar fuels enamel-eroding bacteria, stripping the tooth of its natural barrier and protector. Thinning enamel causes the tooth to become more likely to develop cavities and leads to tooth discoloration. Aim to eat more whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and lean meats. Consume things like desserts, candy, sweetened beverages, processed foods, and fast food sparingly.
Chew Sugar-Free Gum
After a good meal, the leftover bacteria from food runs rampant in your mouth. To quickly counteract the bacteria takeover, chew sugarless gum. Sugarless gum has been proven to increase saliva production in the mouth, which is very helpful because saliva is a natural tooth cleaner. It helps rinse excess food, bacteria, or sugar sitting on the teeth. The saliva naturally reduces plaque-acid build-up, which makes teeth stronger and reduces the risk of tooth decay. So, the next time you rush to your next work meeting or trek across campus for your next class, chew sugar-free gum to freshen your breath and give your teeth a quick clean.
Aesthetic Enhancement Solutions
Sometimes, you can eat the right foods and adhere to a rigid oral hygiene routine yet still have yellowing teeth or other aesthetic concerns with your smile. If you’d like to conceal or correct these issues, consider aesthetic dentistry at Hartrick Dentistry.
From teeth whitening and veneers to dental implants and more, we can correct seemingly small concerns or provide a complete smile makeover addressing all of your problem teeth. If you’d like to learn more, please contact Hartrick Dentistry at (248) 549-0950 to schedule a consultation and discover the best treatments for your smile needs.