5 Simple Steps to a Healthier, Brighter Smile

It might be time to re-assess your oral health habits.

How would you assess the health of your smile? Are you doing everything you can do ensure your smile is being properly cared for on a daily basis?

Like many people, you may think you’ve got your oral care routine down to a T – but it can be easy to overlook certain things that actually have a substantial impact on your oral health in the long run.

With that said, our Toronto dentist and team want to share these 5 easy steps to achieving a healthier, more brilliant smile:

1. Brush twice every day for at least two minutes each time.

How well can you say you stick to the dentist-recommended, twice-a-day-for-160-seconds brushing rule? This is only four minutes of your time each day – so you have no excuse! Brushing twice a day for two minutes will help to protect your teeth from decay and your gums from disease, as you’ll regularly be removing particles of food and bacteria, making it hard for them to accumulate and cause destruction.

2. Floss every day (yes, every single day)!

This tends to be the most common oral hygiene-necessary habit that people chose to neglect on a regular basis – but it is very important, despite the rumors you may have heard. Skipping even one flossing session has the ability to bring on gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease – which causes the gums to bleed easily as they are infected and inflamed. Fortunately, flossing daily in conjunction with proper brushing will help to protect your gums and teeth from disease, and will help to keep your breath fresh!

3. Consume smile-friendly foods and drinks.

When it comes to our diets, what’s best for our bodies tends to also be best for our smiles. Try to limit your consumption of processed white breads and sweets, as well as sugary and/or acidic juices and dressings. Also, aim to boost your consumption of water, healthy whole fruits and veggies, nuts, protein and whole grains.

4. Quit certain bad habits.

There are certain habits that can be quite harmful to the health of your smile or put it at risk, such as nail biting or biting down on hard objects/food, chewing on sugary gum or candy often, grinding the teeth at night or playing sports without wearing a protective mouth guard, and – the big one – smoking (or chewing) tobacco. By quitting habits like these, you’ll be doing a lot for your smile.

5. Keep up with routine dental visits.

It’s very important to ensure you’re going for bi-yearly (or when needed) check-up and cleaning (link) appointments to stay on top of the health of your smile. Check-ups are critical in order to catch any problems early and improve prognosis for treatment, and regular professional cleanings are necessary in order to remove hard deposits of bacteria from the teeth to prevent disease.

Your best smile depends on proper daily care

By following the 5 steps above, you can be sure you’re doing all you can to keep your smile as healthy and naturally beautiful as can be. And if you’re due for a check-up and cleaning appointment, now’s a great time to contact us and book a visit.

We’d love to see you!