Flashing a smile can honestly work wonders. Smiling makes us appear younger, look more attractive, and seem more approachable. Even on your worst days, smiling can improve your mood too, helping you to feel happy when you’re down or angry. Smiles are also incredibly contagious, which means that your grin can help others to feel happier. Sadly, many people are embarrassed about smiling. When your teeth are looking worse for wear, you might be too self-conscious to show them off. With that in mind, here are ten tips to improve your smile.
- Buy A Quality Toothbrush
The first step in improving your smile is buying a great brush. While many people assume all brushes are created equal, studies have shown that the top quality electric toothbrushes remove more plaque than standard manual brushes. Many now also feature modes for sensitive teeth, as well as whitening, which achieves healthier teeth and gums overall. If you can’t shell out on a brush, then make sure you buy a soft-bristled manual brush, rather than medium or hard-bristled.
- Don’t Forget To Brush
Everyone knows you’re supposed to brush your teeth at least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. Unfortunately, many people forget or actively ignore this advice. Without frequent brushing, the plaque buildup on your teeth can harden into tartar. This is known to cause cavities and tooth decay, as well as gum disease. Because teeth become sensitive after eating, you should avoid brushing after meals, and remember to do so before you eat instead.
- Use The Right Technique
How you brush your teeth is just as important as the frequency. If you brush your teeth the wrong way, you will do no good whatsoever or cause more harm. Make sure you hold the brush at a 45-degree angle and aim the bristles towards the gumline. You should apply enough pressure that the gums turn a lighter color, but no harder than that. When you begin brushing, make small strokes, focusing on one tooth at a time. Give every tooth attention, and you’ll keep them healthy.
- Attend Regular Check-Ups
Knowing the proper brushing technique and doing it are two very different things. Sometimes, you need an expert to show you what you’re doing it wrong to understand how to do it right. For this reason, you must attend regular check-ups with your dentist. These appointments are also crucial for routine cleanings. While a cleaning every six months will keep your mouth healthy, irregular check-ups can result in oral health issues. It can also lead to staining on the teeth.
- Try Whitening Your Teeth
Regular brushing will whiten your teeth to some degree. However, the level of staining means you won’t always make a noticeable difference. Thankfully, depending on your needs, there are many whitening products available. From laser whitening to gel pens, you must consider every option carefully. The number of choices can be overwhelming, but each product has specific benefits for certain problem areas. If you aren’t sure what option to pick, speak to an expert.
- Kick That Smoking Habit
Whitening your teeth is pointless if you plan on staining them again. Many unhealthy habits, such as smoking, are known to cause oral problems, like staining. Before you splash out on whitening products, you should kick that smoking habit. As well as superficial damage, smoking can harm healthy gums too, causing them to recede, which results in large pockets around each tooth. Smoking also increases the risk of developing gum disease and cancer, so quitting is sensible.
- Drink Plenty Of Water
Water is the healthiest drink, both for your smile and body overall. Tap water is the best choice of beverage, as it contains the recommended dosage of fluoride. Bottled water often comes from a source where there is too much or too little fluoride. Drinking sugary and acidic drinks can increase your risk of decay significantly. Thankfully, you can reduce this threat by flushing your teeth clean with water. Replacing most of those drinks with a glass of water is better for you too.
- Get Them Straightened Out
People often assume that braces are reserved for older children and teenagers. The good news is, this isn’t the case. Anyone with wonky or crooked teeth can visit an orthodontist for treatment. Many times, your dentist will point out the problem to you and ask if you want a referral to an orthodontist. Having your teeth straightened out will improve the appearance of your smile, but it will combat tooth decay too. This is because crowded teeth are breeding grounds for bacteria.
- Upgrade Any Old Fillings
Silver fillings don’t blend well inside the mouth. They stand out whenever you yawn or laugh, which might make you self-conscious. This type of filling can wear out very quickly too, leaving the teeth vulnerable to decay. Because of this, you may want to upgrade those old fillings. Newer fillings not only bond better with your teeth, but they match the natural color too. Rather than waiting for a problem, you should mention your fillings to the dentist at your next check-up.
- Improve Other Health Issues
Many health conditions are known to affect the teeth and the appearance of your smile. Among those issues are obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. When the body is put under pressure by any health problem, it makes it more difficult to treat others. That is why you should stop trying to cover up the symptoms. Instead, combat the issue at its core by improving your health overall. There are many ways to go about this, including exercising daily and eating right.
A beautiful smile has many benefits, both for yourself and for other people. Rather than being too embarrassed to flash a grin, you should begin improving your teeth. It can take time before you start to notice a change. However, while these changes don’t happen overnight, most would agree that they’re worth the time and effort.
