8 Tips For Keeping Clean Teeth and a Great Smile

Most people wish they had a better smile. It just comes with the territory of being a human being – we all wish our smiles could be a little brighter, a little cheerier, a little bit, well, smiley-er.

But how many of us actually take action toward making our smiles better? A much smaller percentage of us indeed.

Don’t be a part of the majority – instead, follow these eight steps for enhancing your smile. Some of these tips might be one-time things; others will be habits that you’ll need to build over a lifetime.

But if you want a better smile, sometimes it takes a little bit of work – even if it’s just a couple of minutes a day. Hey, beauty is pain, right?

Tip #1: Brush Your Teeth For 4 Minutes Daily

That’s right; just 1/360th of your day. 0.2% of your day for teeth upkeep. It doesn’t sound so bad if you put it that way, right?

Well, many people simply ignore the fact that they’re supposed to brush twice a day, for two minutes per session. But that’s how you’re supposed to do it; if you’re not doing it already, your smile isn’t as cheery as it could be.

Tip #2: Don’t Eating Acid Without Immediately Brushing

That’s right – eating a diet rich in acidic fruits may be good for your vitamin intake, but when it comes to acid-rich fruits, they can do more damage to your teeth than you might have imagined.

So either rinse out your mouth after having a lot of acid or cut down on the fruit intake. Your choice.

Tip #3: Switch To an Alcohol-Free Mouthwash

We know, we know – you like the burn of the alcohol mouthwash. But this type of mouthwash dries your mouth out much more than the alcohol-free version, leading to unnecessary problems down the road.

Tip #4: Floss Daily

It’s the gunk that gets stored in between your teeth that you really need to worry about. If you’re not cleaning these areas of your teeth on a regular basis, you’re missing out a substantial portion of what makes effective teeth cleaning effective.

Tip #5: Drink More Water

Water cleans your mouth, replenishes your body, and helps wash down stuff you don’t want in your teeth.

Tip #6: Visit a Dentist Regularly

Good teeth upkeep is great and all, but without a trip to the dentist every six months or so, you’re only doing a percentage of what’s possible.

Tip #7: Brush Your Tongue

Okay, this won’t exactly help your smile, but it will help your breath – and hey, clean breath is a good reason to smile, isn’t it?

Tip #8: Don’t Take Any Days Off

This is the real key to a good smile; if you slack on your habits, then you’re inviting more plaque to the party. Never a good idea.

Keep it away permanently with good, permanent habits. That’s the key to a healthy smile and – more importantly – healthy teeth.