How to be Teeth Wise

In this issue:

• Top Tips for keeping a beautiful smile
• What can harm your oral health
• Eating Smarter
• What to do if unhappy with a smile?
• Who to see

Teeth wise

Dear readers, as many of you are aware a healthy smile speaks volumes and it is at the center of our social interactions.  In this issue we will discuss how you can keep the sparkle of your natural smile looking young for longer.

First we must better understand  what can harm our teeth in the first place and how to make small simple changes that will reap the biggest rewards.

Tips for keeping a healthy smile

• When brushing your teeth, make sure to spit the tooth paste out rather than rinse with water
• If having juice/fizzy drinks try and use a straw and if possible drink some water afterwards
• If having sweet or acidic food, best to wait 30mins before brushing
• Mouthwash gives you added protection and is great to use after lunch or snacks. Avoid mouthwash straight after brushing though!
• Keep sugary snacks to a minimum
• Eat your fruit and vegetables, they are a great source of Vit C which is needed for gum health
• Use electric toothbrush to brush your teeth. They are great for stain removal as well
• Use mouthwash at a different time to brushing to give your teeth a boost
• Visit the dentist and hygienist every 6 months

What to avoid

• Smoking and E-Cigarettes

These have harmful chemicals that affect your gums. It causes bad breath, staining and tooth loss.

• Alcohol

Keep alcohol to a minimum. The major risk with alcohol and compounded by smoking is oral cancer. Some alcohol can be acidic and cause erosion. Try to drink through a straw and have some water to drink afterwards.

• Simple sugars

These are fizzy/sweet drinks , desserts and flavoured yoghurts. There is a lot of hidden sugar in foods you would not consider as being bad for teeth. Yoghurts and flavoured water  have quite a lot of sugar in them. Best to consume plain water or plain yoghurts and you can add your own fruit or juice to it.

• Avoid brushing teeth straight after eating something sweet or acidic.

Instead rinse your mouth out with mouthwash, this will help to harden the enamel. When we eat something acidic, the enamel  softens and it take time for the chemicals in saliva to neutralize the acid. If you were to brush your teeth straight away you will be brushing away your enamel. Best to wait  30mins between eating and brushing teeth