How to keep your smile shining

Tags

avoid, bad breath, bright, care, coffee, dental tape, dentin, dentist, discoloration, don’t smoke, enamel, essential part, expose, floss, fluoride toothpaste, food, goodness, gum disease, gums to recede, hard-to-reach areas, health and wellbeing, healthy, help, identify problems, inflamed, kits, limit, lower layer, meal times, mouth cancer, mouthwash, overbrush, poor oral health, professional teeth whitening treatments, questions, Red wine, remove, residual fluoride, sensitivity, shiny, sip, six monthly check-ups, slide, smoke, smoking, special toothpaste, specialist cleaning, spit out, stained, sticky residue, sugar intake, sugary foods, sugary foods and drinks, tea, teeth twice a day, tooth decay, trapped, treatment, twice a day, uncomfortable, uncomfortable bloating, wash away, water, whiten, yellow tone

A bright, healthy-looking smile can make a great first impression and also improves your self-confidence and overall mood.

While we all do out best to look after our teeth, they can easily become stained as a result of smoking, poor oral hygiene, and consuming certain sugary foods and drinks like tea, coffee, and red wine.

We have had a look at how can look after your teeth and ensure your smile shines the way you know it can.

Brush your teeth twice a day, everyday
Brushing your teeth for two minutes, twice a day with a good quality fluoride toothpaste will help to remove the problem plaque that can cause bad breath, tooth decay, gum disease, and discolouration. Brush your teeth in a circular motion, paying attention to each tooth on all sides. Once you have finished, spit out any toothpaste residue, but don’t rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash as this will wash away the goodness of the fluoride in your toothpaste.

Don’t overbrush
Yes, brushing is an essential part of taking care of your teeth, but you need to make sure you do not overbrush as this can harm your enamel and expose the lower layers of your teeth, known as dentin. It is dentin that has a yellow tone, and it is impossible to whiten even with special toothpaste or professional teeth whitening treatments and kits. Brushing too hard can also cause your gums to recede which can make your teeth look longer, lead to increased sensitivity and, in extreme cases, tooth loss. These are things you all want to avoid, so if you have any questions about brushing, ask your dentist and they will be happy to help.

Floss, floss, floss
Remember to floss between your teeth at least once or twice a day as this can help prevent gums becoming inflamed, uncomfortable or bleeding when you brush. Use a clean section of floss or dental tape per tooth, slide it in between the teeth, and gently move it up and down to remove trapped food particles.

Use mouthwash in the morning
Mouthwash helps to kill bacteria, even in hard-to-reach areas. Use a mouthwash at least once a day, but not immediately after brushing, as this will wash away the residual fluoride from your toothpaste that helps keep teeth healthy.

Avoid sugary foods and drinks
It is a good idea to try to limit your sugar intake as much as possible for the sake of your teeth, as well as your overall health and wellbeing. If you do have it, eat it at meal times and sip plenty of water to help wash away some of the sticky residue sugar leaves behind.

Don’t smoke
Smoking can lead to bad breath, gum disease, mouth cancer, and tooth discolouration, so give it up, today and you will be so pleased you did.

Go to the dentist
It is vital that you have regular, six monthly check-ups at the dentist. Your dentist can identify problems in their early stages and advise on appropriate treatment so that your teeth and gums remain in excellent condition. Also see the hygienist as their specialist cleaning and care helps to keep your teeth, gums and mouth healthy, and your smile bright and shiny.

Team Pure Beauty

Make your smile sparkle

Tags

all day protection, bacteria, bad breath, bleeding gums, breath freshening, bristles, brush our teeth twice, brushing, celebrity dentists, coffee, concerns, cure, daily brushing, dance, decay, dental health, dentist, diet, dress, eating and drinking, excellent dental health, expensive treatments, extra minty, fights sensitivity, floss, fluoride, frayed, happy, hygienist, location, Meghan Markle, milk, painful, paste, pearly whites, plaque, prevention, prevents gum disease, protects enamel, Red wine, rinsing, Royal wedding, smoking, smoothie, stunning smile, sugar, sunshine, tartar, tea, tired, tongue brushing, tooth decay, tooth unfriendly sugar, toothbrush, toothpaste, total whitening, upright position, water

The dress, the crowds, the sunshine and the location were all amazing at the recent Royal wedding, but it was Meghan Markle’s stunning smile that shone for us.

While we don’t all have access to celebrity dentists and expensive treatments, with a little time, care and know how, you can keep your teeth looking great.

Yes, we all know that we need to brush our teeth twice a day and floss (not the dance) at least once a day, but there are various other things you can do to ensure excellent dental health.

Choose your paste well
From extra minty and total whitening, to breath freshening and all day protection, there is more choice than ever when it comes to toothpaste. Opt for a good quality toothpaste with fluoride that helps protect against bacteria, plaque, tartar and decay. If you want one that prevents gum disease, deals with sensitivity, protects enamel or keeps teeth white, have a chat with your dentist to see what they suggest.

Look after your toothbrush
If you want to keep your teeth clean, you need to keep your toothbrush in good condition. This means rinsing it well after brushing and keeping it in a pot in an upright position when you aren’t using it to prevent bacteria growing. It is also good practise to get a new brush every three months, and if the bristles are looking tired and frayed, it is definitely time for a change.

Brush your tongue
Yes, we know it sounds a bit gross, but tongue brushing not only keeps your teeth healthy, it can also help stop bad breath because it removes bacteria from your mouth when you brush.

Go to the dentist
Sounds obvious, but going for a check-up every six months and having regular cleans with the hygienist, are vital for good dental health. This also gives you the chance to ask any questions you have or voice concerns that have been bothering you, like bleeding gums. They can help you with a daily brushing and flossing plan suits your needs. No one really like going to the dentist, but prevention is a lot less painful than cure.

Cut down on sugar
Limiting the amount of sugar in your diet is key to preventing tooth decay. Remember sugar is hidden in many products so do be mindful of what you are eating and drinking because while a smoothie might sound healthy, it could contain a lot of tooth unfriendly sugar. Water and milk are teeth healthy and while you can drink tea, coffee and red wine, they can stain your pearly whites and leave them less than pretty.

Don’t smoke
Smoking can stain your teeth yellow, cause really bad breath and can lead to gum disease as well as other serious health problems and diseases. The best thing you can do for your teeth, and general health is to stop!

If you have any questions, speak to your dentist and they will be only too happy to help ensure your teeth are happy and healthy.

Team Pure-Beauty

Top tips for cleaner teeth

Tags

brushing, dentist, flossing, health, smile, teeth

Are you one of the seven million people who didn’t brush their teeth this morning? Oral hygiene is something we should be taking seriously as not taking proper care of your mouth can not only lead to tooth decay, but also to gum disease, which is linked to health problems in other parts of your body too.

Diet, tobacco and poor oral hygiene are some of the risk factors contributing to dental problems. We’ve put together the five most important tips for making your teeth cleaner and healthier, all of which are simple but can make a big difference. Following these tips will help to reduce the likelihood of oral health problems and give you a smile that you’ll feel confident with.

Brushing twice a day, everyday, for two to three minutes is vital. What seems like an easy rule can often be hard to follow. Sometimes at night we may be too tired, or in the morning we’re rushing off to work. However, this simple step makes the most difference to your oral health. Brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste decreases the risk of tooth decay and gum disease, just be careful not to brush too hard as this can also damage teeth.

Flossing
As you eat throughout the day, food gets trapped between your teeth. When you brush in the evening, some of this will be removed. However, in order to really get rid of the pieces of food in between your teeth which means flossing throughout the day is crucial.

Smoking
If you’re a smoker, the effect on your teeth is probably already apparent. The long-term damage to both teeth and gums should be a concern for any smoker as not only does it lead to tooth staining and decay, but also gum disease and mouth cancer.

Sugary Food and Drink
One of the main causes of tooth decay is the food and drink we consume. Sweets and fizzy drinks are common culprits, but we eat lots of other things which you may not realise have high levels of sugar. Smoothies, bread, salad dressings and alcohol all contain sugar. Always check the label for sugar content and try to stick to having sugary treats at mealtimes, rather than snacking on them throughout the day. Stick to water in between meals and try and brush or rinse your mouth out if you do have a sugary drink.

Visit Your Dentist
Even if you are careful about looking after your teeth, it’s so important to go to the dentist. A dentist can spot signs of tooth decay, gum disease or even mouth cancer, and can help you before the pain or damage become worse. Don’t wait until something goes wrong to visit your dentist, they are there to help you and make you have a healthier mouth which you feel happy with.

Jenny Kabir is the Clinical Director at Fresh Dental Smile Clinic. Fresh Dental Smile Clinic is a leading Dental Clinic in York. Free consultations are available and dental treatment ranges from simple fillings to outstanding beautiful smile makeovers, dental implants, teeth straightening and orthodontics. For further informaton visit www.freshsmiles.co.uk.