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

Top 5 Uses for Coconut Oil

Tags

coconut oil, Dermalogica Super Rich Repair, growth, hair, moisturise, mosquito bites, oil, repair, scalp, skin, teeth, whiten

Beauty trends often go hand in hand with trends through health and food related things too, and in the last few years one of the main trends has been for coconut oil. It’s well known for its hugely beneficial properties, so much so that Dermalogica Super Rich Repair contains a healthy dose of it for repairing the skin. However, coconut oil has a whole host of uses that you may not even be aware of, so we thought we’d take a look at a few and hopefully enlighten you along the way.

To Soothe Little Bottoms

If you’ve got a little one who is still in nappies, keeping a little tub of coconut oil in your changing bag is a great idea as it makes a perfect nappy cream. As well as soaking into the skin and soothing any irritation which has already occurred, the oil will also provide a barrier against further irritation and keep moisture away from the skin, leaving it…well, as soft as a baby’s bottom!

A Pre-Shave Treatment

If you’ve run out of your regular shave oil, coconut oil makes a great pre-shave treatment. Rub over the area to be shaved to lift hairs and provide a barrier between your skin and the sharp edge of the blade. It will minimise irritation and allow you to get a really close shave.

A Balm for Mosquito Bites

We’re not quite sure WHY this one works, we just know that it does; dab a little coconut oil on bites if you’re unfortunate enough to get bitten by one of the little blighters and it will help to stop the itching and reduce any inflammation to the area.

To Whiten Teeth

This one is definitely NOT for anyone with a weak stomach, but millions of people swear by it so we felt we had to include it here. Oil pulling is basically the act of taking a spoonful of coconut oil into your mouth, letting it melt and then swishing it around your teeth for a few minutes. We can’t say that a mouthful of oil is particularly appealing to us, but with so many people adamant that it makes their teeth several shades whiter, we don’t dare argue!

To Stimulate Hair Growth

As well as making a fabulous intense conditioner for dry hair, rubbing it into the scalp on a regular basis is said to stimulate hair growth and actually thicken your hair. We suspect this is as much to do with the act of rubbing your scalp and increasing blood flow to the area as the coconut oil itself, but if it leaves your hair silky soft in the process, it’s well worth a try.