It may come as a surprise, but your teeth are NOT high-end face bones. For good reason, healthy teeth are a cornerstone of overall good health. Not only can you not eat without them, but they are also required for proper speech. Teeth enamel is the hardest substance in your body, and tooth bias is unfortunately all too common.
Add milk to your coffee and tea
To keep your teeth looking their best, you should first pay attention to what you put in your mouth. The chemical properties of foods cause enamel staining. Acidic foods stain because they damage enamel, and foods high in tannins, such as coffee or tea, stain because they change the pH of the mouth.
After eating acidic foods, balance your mouth’s pH by eating something neutral and high in calcium. Pour milk into your coffee or tea to reduce the acidity, and top off meals with tomato sauce with more cheese. Casein, a protein found in milk, is particularly effective at reducing tooth discoloration.
Eat some pineapple
Pineapples are the only foods that contain the compound, bromelain, which is excellent at protecting enamel and degrading stains on teeth. It also reduces pain and swelling of the gums because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
Use a straw when drinking
As it turns out, not only what you drink affects your teeth, but also how you drink it. Your method of consuming drinks can also affect your oral health. Taking long sips and holding the liquid in your mouth can contribute to staining and enamel erosion because they expose teeth to sugar and acids in the drink. This way, sugary drinks in cans are the worst in terms of both what and how.
Gulping and using straws (if you position it correctly, without touching the teeth), on the other hand, are safer and healthier ways to drink. It helps to prevent discoloration and decay.
Brush before going to sleep
Brushing twice a day is recommended, but if you can only do it once, do it before going to bed. When you sleep, you are not swallowing or flushing your mouth, and your saliva production is slow, causing plaque buildup on your teeth to remain stagnant and cause problems. It can cause dry mouth and increase the risk of cavities.
As a side note, many people who brush their teeth on a regular basis do not brush for long enough. The recommended time is two minutes. Excess toothpaste should be spat out. If you want to rinse, do so at any time other than when brushing your teeth. Otherwise, it will wash away the fluoride in your toothpaste, sabotaging the entire process and leaving your teeth vulnerable.
Don’t forget to floss
Flossing gets the biofilm out from between your teeth and promotes good gum health. It can clean food particles and plaque where the toothbrush cannot reach. 40% of plaque is in between the teeth! Pay special attention to your molars. Don’t just run the floss between the teeth — you need to floss beneath the gum line to clean out plaque.
Don’t press too hard while brushing
Keep in mind the amount of pressure you’re using when you brush — you don’t need a lot, otherwise, you’ll traumatize your gums and your teeth will become too sensitive. An electric toothbrush can be helpful with timing and pressure sensing. Also, always opt for a soft toothbrush. Over-brushing is when you brush your teeth too much, which is also a thing.
Get a nightguard to work against tooth grinding
Grinding and clenching are serious matters. Get a nightguard if you grind your teeth. Grinding your teeth can cause major jaw alignment issues that are difficult to correct, or you can fracture your teeth, which will require crowns if the situation worsens. However, with a mouthguard, you simply bite the silicone instead. Also, if possible, consult with a therapist because grinding can be caused by stress or anxiety.
Scrape your tongue
The tongue is a reservoir of bacteria, and when left unchecked, it can lead to bad breath and more serious issues. A healthy tongue is evenly pink, without red, white, or yellow parts. The white discoloration is no reason to panic — it’s just a mix of dead cells and food debris, and it can be easily removed with brushing and flossing.
Use a brush or get yourself a tongue scraper and start cleaning from the back of the tongue. Don’t skip the edges and sides. Rinse afterward to remove the leftover bacteria — both the tongue and the device you’ve used.
Don’t whiten your teeth
Your teeth aren’t supposed to be white, despite what the beauty industry would have you believe. Naturally, they will become ivory-colored over time. Furthermore, not all teeth are the same color. After all, they weren’t put in your mouth to make you look pretty.
Whitening your teeth erodes the enamel. And once the enamel is gone, it’s gone for good. As a result, it’s best to avoid charcoal and whitening toothpaste because they’re too abrasive and will wear away your teeth. Use fluoride toothpaste instead. Fluoride is one of the most important components of our oral hygiene, and it has reduced the number of cases in people over the last 30 years, preventing tooth decay.
Keep your spit flowing
Saliva protects your teeth by constantly washing them, removing harmful bacteria, and fortifying the enamel with calcium and phosphorus. When your mouth stops producing enough saliva, the teeth dry out, the pH of your mouth changes, and the bacteria that eat away at the enamel multiply. Consume as much plain water as possible throughout the day, and chew sugarless gum to stimulate saliva production.
Dry mouth is also a common side effect of many medications, including antidepressants, and it can impair the efficiency of the salivary glands. If you take medications, it’s a good idea to keep some water on hand at all times.
