HSF

How to have a winning smile - ten top tips for healthy teeth

30th Nov 2007

The eyes are supposed to be the windows of the soul, but when it comes to smiling and laughing, what most people see is our teeth.

With a little care, it is possible to have bright shiny teeth all our lives.

But many people develop teeth and gum problems - due to lack of knowledge about how to care properly for their teeth. And it's relatively simple to take proper care of your teeth - the first step, as we all know is to brush them. What follows is ten simple tips for terrific teeth.

1) Brush them of course. Twice a day. And properly. Here's how - Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums. Move the brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes. Brush the outer tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Use the 'toe' of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, using a gentle up-and-down stroke. Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.

2) Floss your teeth. Flossing isn't just a way to dislodge food wedged between your teeth, regular flossing reduces cavities, gum disease and bad breath by helping to remove the plaque that forms along the gum line.

3) Check your toothbrush. Then chuck it. Seriously. Every three months. Don't try to save money on your teeth. It will cost you thousands when you have to do serious work on them. So look after them and buy a new toothbrush regularly.

4) When you're involved in activities that could potentially damage your teeth, use a mouth-guard. Bruises heal, but when teeth are gone, they're gone.

5) Give up some of the sugary stuff - and that includes sweets, chocolates, tea and coffee with too much sugar, fizzy drinks and all the other snacks between meals. You're not going to quit everything, of course. Just remember that many of the foods you eat cause the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids. Sugared foods, such as sweets and biscuits, are not the only culprits. Starches, such as bread and cereal also cause acids to form. If you snack often, you could be having acid attacks all day long. After many acid attacks, your teeth may decay. So by giving the snacks a break, you're also helping your teeth.

6) Use a mouthwash. Forget about the colours - just pick a plain simple one and make sure you use it. If you have bad breath, it could be caused by food getting trapped between the spaces in your teeth. That's a job for your flosser. But the mouthwash will also help.

7) Brush your tongue - or use a tongue scraper. Why go to all that work on your teeth just to have them come into contact with all the microbes living on the surface of your tongue. Plus, you get the added benefit of fresh breath.

8) Remember that white teeth are not necessarily healthy teeth. While your biggest concern right now may be your smile, make sure that smile will be there, in good shape, years from now. Tooth whitening is tremendously popular today and many companies are catering to the market. While tooth whiteners remove staining to some degree, they are no substitute for the cleaning job required by your other efforts.

9) The most important thing is to go to see your dentist regularly. He or she will advise on how to do everything here properly, will check you for a range of possible conditions and give you the peace of mind of knowing your teeth are healthy and in good shape.

10) Join a health cash plan. You need to see your dentist every six months and you don't want to be putting it off because you haven't budgeted for it. Pay in a little each week into a health cash plan and you and your family will be covered.

Now have you got all that? Then smile.