The Secrets of Lovely Smile.

All it takes is good dental hygiene and sensible diet to keep your smile looking terrific.

The Steps To Take

Check out your diet. Plaque formation is particularly encouraged by eating sweet, starchy foods and having sweet drinks, especially between meals. Damage to your teeth and gums begins just 20 minutes later. The general rule is that if it's good for your body, it's good for your teeth and gums. How often you eat is also relevant to dental health. All food wood will set up plaque formation to some extent, so constant nibbling is disastrous because it provides a non-supply of acids that promote decay. For between- meal snacks stick to those foods least harmful to teeth- fresh fruits, raw vegetables, nuts and cheese.

Apart from a diet rich in nutrients, foods which require good deal of chewing help to keep teeth and gums healthy. Chewing encourages the production of saliva, which is natural lubricant and cleaning agent, and also provides exercise for the teeth and the jaws muscle.

Take care to brush well.. Choose a brush that feels comfortable in your mouth. A short , straight handle makes it easy to control so that you van direct the head where you want it. The head should be quite small with short nylon bristles which are even in length rather than serrated. Use a medium brush and replace it every six weeks or so.

In brushing, use short gentle actions, moving over two or three teeth at time and using 10 short strokes for each sections- the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces and the chewing surfaces. Pay particular attention along the gum line and behind the back teeth. You don't have to brush more than twice a day. Dentists often see cases of over-zealous people who brush number of times a day, often with hard brushes and present with teeth that are very sore to touch. The teeths are literally brushed away for the sake of a clean mouth and fresh breath.

Disclosing tablets are effective in indicating areas on your teeth where plaque is building up. The plaque will be dyed a bright crimson which thorough brushing will clean away.
Floss regularly. No toothbrush can get at the plaque that builds up between the teeth. This is where dental floss does its job. Take a 15 cm length and wind it around the first two fingers of each hand. Now gently slide it down between two teeth, pressing against the side of second tooth. This will remove any debris between the teeth. Make sure that when the floss is between the the teeth don't rub it back and forth against the gum.

Protect with fluoride. Applying fluoride topically, by using fluoride toothpaste ia an extremely effective way of strengthening the enamel against acid attack. Your dentist will probably paint your teeth with fluoride, too, each time you have your dental check up.

Bleeding gums are common dental health problem. Often, the cause is careless brushing of teeth, although it may be because of gum infection. For a diagnosis, see your dentist. To prevent bleeding gums, brush your teeth regularly and correctly.

Persistent bad breath is another problem. It may be caused by infected gums, decayed teeth, smoking or alcohol, among other things. Check with your dentist that your teeth and gums are not at fault and make sure diet includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Stress is another possible cause of bad breath as it can upset gastrointestinal balance. So consider the amount of stress you are experiencing and try to reduce it.