Who doesn’t want a photo-ready smile, especially when the holiday season brings plenty of moments to flash your pearly whites for the pictures? And, if you want to keep up with all the mulled wine and mince pies without New Year regrets, taking care of your teeth is a big part of getting your festive cheer on. Your smile is the most noticeable thing to others. And, a dazzling smile goes a long way to convey your true self and personality. This teeth shimmer winter guide is our gift to you.
Proper brushing and flossing routine
It has been said countless times, brushing our teeth twice a day, regular flossing, and going for dental checkups keep tooth decay and gum disease away. Brush your teeth before breakfast to provide a protective barrier for your tooth enamel from sugary breakfast foods such as cereal, orange juice, pastries, and pancakes. By brushing teeth straight after breakfast, you run the risk of brushing the acids into the enamel. If you prefer to brush after breakfast, let at least 30 minutes to an hour pass before doing so.
It is vital to finish the day off by brushing your teeth the last thing at night. Once you do, make sure you do not eat or drink anything except water. If you couldn’t resist a midnight snack, make sure to clean your teeth after.
Brush your teeth for about 2 minutes, remembering to cover the inside surfaces, outside surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of your teeth. While both manual and electric toothbrushes are equally good at cleaning teeth, some find electric toothbrushes easier to use. Adults should use fluoride toothpaste containing at least 1,350 parts per million (ppm) fluoride.
Food that stains
While some foods are kinder to your teeth, others can stain them. Chromogens, tannins, and acids contribute to enamel staining and weaker enamels prone to stains. Red wine, coffee, tea, berries, fruit juice, dark cola, energy & sports drinks, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, coloured candies, and sweets can stain your teeth. Tobacco products and antibiotic medication too can cause discolouration of teeth. When you have one of the stain-causing foods, make it a point to brush soon after and floss. If cleaning your teeth is not possible, rinse your mouth with water. Using a straw to drink dark-coloured drinks to minimise contact with teeth is a better alternative when cleaning your teeth is not an option.
Stay hydrated
The right amount of natural fluoride in drinking water is nature’s cavity fighter. In England, 5.8 million people receive fluoridated water. Usually, 1mg of fluoride is added to every litre of water – a level found to reduce tooth decay. Whether to add fluoride to the local water supply is up to individual local authorities.
Drinking water also ensures your mouth stays hydrated without drying up. Our saliva is 99% water and is a defence against tooth decay. A dry mouth can cause tooth decay. Water washes away food residue that leads to cavities.
Eat food that’s good for your teeth
Cheese, milk, and plain yoghurt – These are low in sugar and high in calcium. Cheese contains casein, a protein that is useful for fortifying tooth enamel. High calcium in cheese and dairy products is important for maintaining bone density. Phosphates in cheese also help balance pH levels in the mouth that preserve tooth enamel. Another great reason that makes cheese teeth-friendly is, chewing it increases saliva production, which washes away bacteria in the mouth.
Yoghurt contains probiotics that are beneficial for the digestive system. Always choose unsweetened yoghurt. If you are allergic to dairy, calcium and protein-fortified nut milk like almond, soy, or cashew can replace dairy benefits.
Carrots, celery, and apples – Don’t reach for that candy bar! When your sweet tooth is strong, eat an apple or a baby carrot instead. Apples offer hydration and fibre. Eating apples promote good saliva production. Celery helps clean your teeth with its fibrous texture that can scrape leftover food particles and bacteria away. Carrots and celery also contain vitamin C and vitamin A.
Broccoli – Not a fan? Reconsider this green gem. Fresh broccoli not only offers a tonne of vitamin C &K while significantly contributing to bone health and proper blood clotting, but it is also a natural teeth cleaner.
Leafy Greens – Vegetables are the star in a healthy diet. They offer several health benefits without being heavy or calorie-dense. They have vitamins and minerals that help you produce saliva to clean your mouth and keep enamel healthy. Leafy greens like kale, spinach, chard, or collard greens are full of vitamins and minerals while low in calories. If you keep the dressings to minimal, you could get outstanding benefits from leafy greens. They are also high in calcium, folic acid, and B vitamins.
Chewing gum – sugarless chewing gum containing Xylitol combats dry mouth, lowers plaque accumulation, and helps reduce cavity-causing bacteria called Streptococcus. Casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) in chewing gum is responsible for hardening the enamel as well.
Whitening toothpaste
Whitening toothpaste mainly brightens teeth by three methods. Surface stain removal, bleaching, and optical illusion. Surface stain removers take off stains and plaque from the top layer of the teeth using scrubbing ingredients like activated charcoal or silica. Bleaching toothpaste use ingredients like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide that penetrates the tooth to lighten the tooth dentine inside. They can also make the surface enamel more reflective. Some whitening toothpaste contains the Blue Covarine, a chemical that adheres to the surface of the teeth to create an optical illusion that makes teeth appear less yellow.
Dental treatments
Professional treatments deliver the most effective and safe results when it comes to putting the sparkle back in your smile. Your teeth, too, can shimmer this winter for a smile that radiates confidence.
Teeth whitening
It is the procedure that gives every Hollywood actor their picture-perfect smile. It is a simple cosmetic process to achieve a healthy white glow for your teeth. Both whitening agents and Blue Spectrum LED light are used. An appointment with your dentist will help diagnose tooth sensitivity and tooth density that determines whether tooth whitening is for you and which technique you should use. During an in-chair session, your teeth get a whitening gel closest to the natural shade of your teeth applied to them with a laser light directed to intensify results. In less than an hour, your teeth will be whiter in several shades. This process can safely remove the most stubborn stains. You can also get premium whitening products from your dentist for at-home use.
However, the most durable results come from using custom-made whitening trays for two weeks followed by a whitening treatment at the dentist.
Veneers
Veneers are thin but tough tooth-coloured shells made in a dental lab from porcelain and other ceramic or composite material. They are bonded to the surface of teeth to correct staining, discolouration, gaps between teeth, and chipped, worn, & misshapen teeth. Veneers are made to look natural so, they are virtually impossible to detect.
Dental hygiene service
When your teeth have lost their glisten and brightness, and discolouration appears, dental hygienists use advanced cleaning and plaque removing treatments to get rid of surface stains to restore the natural shine and colour of your teeth. Regular visits to a hygienist ensure tooth decay and gum disease are kept at bay.
The festive season is an apt time to let your teeth achieve the brilliant, flawless look for smiles that captivate. It is also the perfect way to ring in the New Year with a radiance of confidence. Mouth Dental is a multi-clinic, state-of-the-art dental practice in London that offers the safest and most up-to-date technology for teeth whitening.
