It’s not difficult to get an ageless smile, but you have to be willing to go the extra mile in oral care. Good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist are crucial steps to achieve a whiter, healthier smile. For some, professional teeth-whitening is also a useful solution. Consider these four easy ways to age-proof your smile.
1. Brush and Floss Regularly
If you keep forgetting to brush your teeth or feel you just don’t have the time to brush as often as you should, keep in mind that the American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day, each time for about two minutes. Here are a few brushing tips to improve your smile:
- Use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste each time you brush your teeth.
- Brush your teeth using a circular motion – not side to side – for best results. Brushing side to side can wear away enamel.
- Be sure to brush the front and back of each tooth, along with the surface of your tongue.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush, and replace it every three to four months or when the bristles start to fray.
In addition to brushing twice a day, you should also floss once a day to remove food particles, bacteria and plaque from the hard-to-reach areas between your teeth. Use an 18-inch section of floss to work around each tooth.
2. Monitor Your Diet
Diet plays a major role in oral health, including maintaining the whiteness of your teeth. Plaque is a thin film of bacteria that coats your teeth, and this bacteria digests sugar every time you eat and drink, producing acids that weaken enamel and lead to cavities. As the Colgate Oral and Dental Health Resource Center points out, limiting the amount of sugar you consume can dramatically improve the health of your teeth.
That being said, sugar isn’t the only way your diet affects your teeth. Beverages like coffee, tea and soda have dark pigments that work their way into the microscopic crevices in the enamel of your teeth, causing yellowing stains. Red wine also stains teeth, so you can improve your smile by eliminating these beverages, or at least cutting back. Smoking and chewing tobacco also have a negative effect on your teeth, along with certain medications.
3. Visit the Dentist Regularly
Visiting the dentist isn’t something you only need to do when you have a toothache. Dentists recommend you have a regular cleaning done at least every six months. Having your teeth professionally cleaned will improve the appearance of your teeth and remove plaque, which can develop in spite of regular brushing and flossing. A dentist or dental hygienist will also remove plaque from difficult-to-reach areas, take X-rays to make sure you have no cavities and make helpful recommendations for improving your oral hygiene practices.
4. Professional Teeth-Whitening
Many individuals have a hard time maintaining a white, healthy smile through good oral practices alone. This is due in large part to genetics. Professional teeth-whitening services like the KöR Whitening System can dramatically improve your smile by whitening teeth and removing stains left by coffee, tea and soda. Developed by whitening science expert and cosmetic dentist Dr. Rod Kurthy, the KöR Whitening System is used by thousands of dentists all over the world.
Age-proofing your smile can transform your entire appearance, and good oral health is essential to whiten teeth. Schedule a consultation with your dentist or to discuss the options for keeping your smile looking young!
