An Essential Wellness Routine of That Girl; Keeping Your Smile Bright

Health & Wellness
Written By Kara Pike

What’s the first thing people notice about you?

The answer is most likely your smile. Your smile is debatably the most beautiful thing about you. From the straightest smiles to the gaps in between teeth, everyone’s smile has so much beauty offer.

Given how important your smile is, it’s necessary to keep your teeth and gums happy and healthy. We all want bright teeth and fresh breath, right? I have heard from several people of older generations that dental care should be one of the top priorities of younger people to ensure a long-lasting beautiful smile into your later years. Don’t wait to prioritize your dental health until it is too late. Prevent dental problems now by ensuring you are following the right steps to keeping your smile happy and healthy.

In this blog post, I’m sharing the tips and tricks you should be following to ensure you’re taking the proper steps to ensure your teeth and gums are happy and healthy including the ins and outs of brushing your teeth correctly, flossing properly, taking care of your tongue, and a few bonus tips to keep your smile bright, your gums happy, and your breath fresh.

*Disclaimer: I am not a dentist or a dental care professional, these are tips and tricks that work for me, many of which have been taught by my dentist. If you’re experiencing serious health concerns regarding your teeth/ and or mouth, contact a healthcare professional.

Brush Your Teeth

Now let’s be real, I don’t expect you to read this and find that brushing your teeth is a plot twist in dental care. This is the most obvious step and should be one that you are already implementing. But let me paint you a story about when I finally started seeing my current dentist.

I had been going to my childhood dentist for years. Although I had healthy teeth for the most part aside from the usual cavity or two, I had no idea what was about to come. I finally switched over to an “adult” dentist, and my first visit was horrendous. After years of believing I had a healthy mouth with no issues, I was proven wrong. I had seven cavities, permanent damage to my enamel from my braces, gingivitis, and my gums were starting to recede. Until this point, I had never been taught proper brushing and flossing techniques, and I didn’t even know I was supposed to brush my tongue for the vast majority of my life. Gross, right?

Don’t be me. I’m here to give you these tips and tricks if your dentist hasn’t already so you don’t have to go through long and painful dentist appointments to fix your mouth like I did. Better yet, prevent these problems and keep your teeth white, your gums healthy, and your breath fresh.

Back to brushing.

I hope you already know that you should be brushing your teeth twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. Move your toothbrush in circular motions to ensure you are also working to clean your gums, but be gentle with it. Brushing too aggressively can actually irritate your gums and work against you. Brush all areas of your teeth and gums, including those harder to reach spots in the back of your mouth. Also ensure you are brushing the backs of your teeth too, especially for my cuties out there with permanent retainers. Choose a toothpaste that works for you and what you want, whether that is one that caters to anticavity or sensitive teeth. My favorite toothpastes are Sensodyne and the CloSYS Flouride Toothpaste. Both are great for sensitive teeth. Sensodyne has tons of amazing reviews, and my dental hygienist personally recommended the CloSYS brand to me. An electric toothbrush was also a game changer for me, and I don’t think I can ever go back to regular toothbrushes. Electric toothbrushes have the ability to reach areas that are harder to reach, which is where cavities tend to start. You can see how they can make a big difference in cleaning your teeth and preventing cavities.

It is also important to consider the foods you are eating and how it effects your teeth. For example acidic foods and drinks, such as coffee, can have negative impacts on your teeth. Many have gotten in the habit of brushing after consuming acidic foods and drinks, but this may actually be counterproductive. By brushing your teeth after drinking coffee, you could be spreading the sugar and acid around your teeth. I personally like to brush my teeth with a fluoride toothpaste before drinking coffee as fluoride acts as a protective layer for teeth.

Floss

Flossing. The middle child of dental care. Far too often overlooked, despite the incredible benefits it provides. Trust me, I get it. After a your everything shower, crazy skincare routine, and the long day you already had, the last thing you want to do is floss. The common belief that flossing can be skipped must be squashed. Take that idea, crumple it up, and throw it away in your mental trash can. That girl flosses daily, at least for the most part.

Flossing should be done once a day. They key to flossing is that you have to go at an angle in a triangular motion to really get up in your gums. Just going in between your teeth is not enough, although be careful not too floss too harsh. Again, being too aggresive when it comes to dental care can actually act against you. I’m sure many of you are aware of the flossing technique I’m exaplaining, but if you’re like I was, you may have no idea there was a technique to flossing. If this you, I highly recommend a YouTube search on this technique as it’s better to learn through seeing than reading on this one. For my cuties with permanent retainers or braces, you NEED floss threaders. I know it is so annoying to floss when you have wires in the way, but trust me, this only means flossing is even more important for you. Neglecting flossing when I had my braces is a big reason as to why I have permanent damage on my enamel that now requires special attention. Floss, floss, floss, no matter what.

For those of you that absolutely hate flossing and can’t bare the thought of doing it every day, I have good news for you. Water flossers are becoming much more popular and are more convenient than regular flossing. Although it seems less effective than regular flossing, it can be nice to have one on hand for those days you just can’t add one more step to your morning/night routine. They can also be really helpful for those with braces to make flossing easier. Although I wouldn’t recommend replacing regular flossing with a water flosser, it can be nice to have one handy if you have the money for one.

Clean Your Tongue

Again, I had no idea that I was supposed to be cleaning my tongue for many years. I know, I know, it’s so gross. I’m here to save any of you who may be in that same boat. Make sure you are brushing your tongue every time you brush your teeth. I would also recommend using a tongue scraper at least once a day, and even twice a day if you can manage. After each scrape, rinse the scraper under warm water to help wash away any collected bacteria and gunk. Again, don’t be too aggressive with it. Your tongue should be pink, maybe with a little bit of white, although too much white can indicate dehydration or even an infection.

Additional Tips

Now that we have the basics covered, here are just a few last tips and tricks to try out to make sure you are doing it all.

  • Make sure your gum is sugar free

  • If you have retainers PLEASE wear them (and brush them). Don’t let all the money that went to straightening your teeth be for nothing

  • Rinse your mouth with water or a fluoride mouth rinse after consuming acidic drinks and foods to help neutralize the acid

  • Use the CloSYS Mouthwash once a day. My dental hygienist highly recommended this to me as someone who struggles with receding gums and sensitivity

All smiles are beautiful, truly. You don’t have to have perfect teeth to have a perfect smile. I’m always telling my boyfriend of five years that one of my favorite things about him is the gap in between his teeth. “Unperfect” teeth are actually really beautiful and make you more unique if you can’t afford to straighten your teeth or simply don’t want to. The perfect smile isn’t about having perfectly straight teeth, it’s about the love you give in your dental care routine.

Now go show your smile some love.

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Kara Pike
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