Maintaining White, Healthy Teeth

Dentist Blog

Keeping your teeth naturally white won't just improve your smile and boost your confidence, it can also help to keep your teeth and gums healthy and reduce bad odours, providing you follow a natural oral care regime. There are many products on the market that are aimed at improving breath and killing bacteria, however they can actually be detrimental to your oral health. Mouthwashes that contain too much alcohol are one such example, as they dry out your mouth and limit the production of saliva, the body's first natural defence against bacteria. This is why you may find that you often get a build up of mucus in the mouth after using harsh toothpastes and mouthwashes, because your body is trying to re-moisturise. 

Oil Pulling

A great alternative to mouthwash is actually coconut oil. It has multiple health benefits and has been shown to have anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. To use it swish about a tablespoon of oil around your mouth, drawing it through the teeth and allowing it to make contact with every surface possible. Oil pulling is a 3,000 year old medical dental treatment that is an effective supplement when used alongside regular brushing, allowing you to clean out bacteria in the mouth and spit them out. However, it must be done in conjunction with brushing using a fluoride-based toothpaste as alone it cannot treat oral health maladies.

Tongue Brushing

Lots of bacteria live on the tongue and are one of the greatest contributors to bad bread, yet this can be tackled easily with a tongue scraper or a soft bristled toothbrush. Bacteria thrive on the surface of the tongue because it has a large surface area created by all the cracks and crevices in the flesh. Tongue scraping removes these bacteria, which can actually cause the yellowing of teeth as well. Scrape from the back of the tongue to the tip with either your toothbrush or tongue scraper, before rinsing under the tap to remove any bacterial residue. Having a soft bristled brush isn't essential, but it will make it feel more pleasant and having a second brush for this will avoid cross contaminating the rest of your mouth. 

Rinse and Spit

Another reason teeth become discoloured is because of the minerals found in tea and coffee that harden and calcify. This causes brown stains in the crevices of the teeth, which are hard to remove. The best way to avoid this is to reduce your intake of tea and coffee, or rinse your mouth out with water after you finish a cup, to stop the minerals from settling. Coffee also contributes to the acidity of your stomach and can also cause bad breath.

Talk with your dentist about professional teeth whitening if your at-home remedies aren't working effectively.

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20 December 2016