Top Five Ways to Improve Your Smile

A beautiful smile can go a long way. It can make anyone look more attractive, approachable, confident, and successful—not to mention happy. But let’s be honest, not everyone is blessed with a naturally dazzling Hollywood grin that gleams like the sun. Not only are pearly whites and a winning smile appealing to look at, but they’re often also a sign of good oral health. Unfortunately, over time, your teeth can naturally deteriorate due to injury, age, and general negligence of your oral health. Here are a few ways to help you improve your oral hygiene and achieve a radiant smile.

1. Visit the Dentist

According to the NHS, the average person should go for a dental checkup once every one to two years – depending on the state of their oral hygiene. The better your dental health, the longer you can leave it before going to the dentist again. So, unless you enjoy sitting in the dentist’s chair, it’s in your best interests to look after your oral health. Part of this process includes scheduling a dental appointment. During a checkup, a dental professional will examine your oral cavity and assess your oral health. They’re trained to spot abnormalities and can help correct dental issues or suggest suitable treatment like implants and dental crowns naples. Not only can a checkup help keep your oral health in check, but it can also keep more serious problems at bay.

This opportunity is also an excellent chance to talk to your dentist if your teeth have shifted over time, making you feel self-conscious about your smile. They can fix minor issues like small gaps with subtle orthodontic devices like clear aligners.

Keeping up with regular dental visits helps prevent problems, keeps stains and discolouration at bay, and ensures you put your best smile forward. If you can’t visit a dentist yet but need answers to some of your dental woes, you can check meaddental.co.uk or another reputable website for more information.

2. Improve a Crooked Smile with Invisalign

When most people think of braces, colourful metal brackets boldly displayed along each row of the teeth spring to mind. Fortunately, you don’t need to have a mouth full of metal to achieve straight teeth anymore. Invisalign is a discreet and convenient treatment that uses barely visible aligners instead of metal brackets and wires. These clear aligners are removable, and treatments can take as little as three months. Not only is Invisalign great for straightening crooked teeth, but they can also help people with overlapping teeth, rotated teeth, misaligned jaws, and teeth that don’t bite together.

3. Be Mindful of Teeth-Staining Food and Beverages

As people age, teeth naturally become discoloured. Being mindful about food and beverages that stain teeth and taking a few simple measures is the best preventative way to keep your teeth whiter for longer. Food made with ingredients that are deeply pigmented, such as turmeric, tomatoes, and beetroot can stain your teeth. Beverages that contain tannins, such as red wine, coffee, and tea can also make you more prone to staining too. If you just can’t quit that mug of morning joe, be sure to drink it quickly instead of sipping leisurely over an hour. Same goes for red wine—avoid finishing a glass over two or three hours. The more prolonged the exposure of staining beverages to your teeth, the more it will penetrate the enamel and seep into the tiny pits and grooves. After you’ve consumed these types of items, rinse out your mouth with water. You can also try drinking beverages through a straw and chewing gum after a meal.

4. Stop Smoking

In addition to certain food and beverages, smoking can also have a negative effect on your oral hygiene. This bad habit can damage gums and make them recede. Once this happens, the exposed gaps in your teeth can become infected. In turn, this can lead to premature tooth loss. Smoking can also give you a dry mouth which can induce halitosis. Furthermore, smoking can discolour your teeth and cause staining.

If conventional cigarettes are tough to quit, consider alternatives like nicotine patches, smoking cessation aids and e-cigarettes as temporary replacements. While the jury’s still out on the safety of long-term vaping, it does help eliminate smoke touching your teeth.

5. Try Oil Pulling

Oil pulling involves swishing a tablespoon of oil around in your mouth for 15 to 20 minutes, spitting it out, then rinsing your mouth out with water. This ancient technique is said to ‘pull’ bacteria from your mouth, and it is supposed to be excellent for oral health.