Are you ruining your smile?

You could be ruining your smile without even knowing it! You have a more extensive knowledge of dental health these days. Brushing twice a day with toothpaste is not all you need to do though. Here are some hints and tips on how and why these things could be wasting your teeth and therefore ruining your smile.

Too much Sugar

You eat way too much sugar and you don’t even realise it!  All if this hidden sugar is certainly ruining your smile. In a perfect world, you wouldn’t drink orange juice at all. Whole fruit is full of fibre, which means the sugars aren’t as accessible. Juicing fruit destroys the good stuff, which means you may as well wash down your cereal with a can of Coke. It’s the same for smoothies. Stick to water or tea and get your five-a-day the proper way.

Are you using wrong kind of mouthwash?

Could your mouthwash be too boozy? Alcoholic mouthwashes are very good at killing bacteria. They’re not as good at distinguishing good bacteria from the plaque-causing kind. Antibacterial versions, like Corsadyl, are equally undiscerning. Switch to a flouridated, teetotal version instead.

You could be rinsing too soon

Do you rinse too soon after brushing? What you gargle is only as effective as when you gargle it. The fluoride in toothpaste coats your teeth and protects them from decay. When you rinse straight away, you wash that defensive layer away. Always wait a while after brushing before your rinse.

Are you brushing too much?

You could be brushing too much or too hard! Brushing your teeth buffs away the stains that can discolour them. If you brush for longer than two minutes, more than twice a day, or bear down too hard on your teeth you can brush away the enamel as well. If you want to top up after eating, chew sugar-free gum instead. This will stimulate saliva, which acts as a natural antibacterial to help keep your teeth white.

Do you ever floss?

You need to floss! Flossing is not an optional extra when you’ve got some spare time. Your brush can’t reach around a third of your tooth surface – if you don’t floss, this becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. In turn, this will cause decay and receding gums. There are lots of different ways to floss your teeth. These include waxed strings, inter-dental brushes and water flossers which remove around 99.9% of plaque. Floss straight after brushing to pull leftover toothpaste between teeth and double the protection.

Is your toothbrush or toothbrush head too old?

Do you keep your toothbrush for too long? Your dentist encouraging you to replace your toothbrush (or brush head) every three months isn’t just so he can sell more. When the bristles are cut at the factory, they’re left jagged. They’re rounded off before being packaged. Over time this forgiving surface wears away and you end up with sharp bristles that can strip your tooth’s dentin and enamel. Replace yours before the bristles lose their shape to prevent the damage.