Recently, a survey by lusterpremiumwhite.com polled people on which celebrities had the best smiles. Topping the list for the ‘best smile’ were Christie Brinkley and Denzel Washington. What do their teeth have in common? Both are gleaming white. So what can you do in your everyday life to try to get your smile to match the same calibre?
There are actually several misconceptions about the best ways to care for your teeth. The art of successful brushing requires more than simply brushing for two minutes. Technique plays as great a part as time – brushing should concentrate on all of the tooth and be angled to brush debris away from the gums. This should be combined with flossing or use of interdental brushes to ensure all crevices are kept clean. You should also be careful with the pressure you apply – overly vigorous brushing may damage the teeth. Remember to focus on the task in hand – concentrating on other things means that you are more likely to be careless with your brushing. As well as this, take care not to rinse after brushing and don’t eat for at least thirty minutes afterwards – toothpaste leaves a protective fluoride coating and you want this to remain on the teeth for as long as possible for maximum effect.
The other thing to concentrate on is to look out for danger signs. Consider your teeth. Do not ignore it if they have changed shape or colour, if your breath seems more pungent, if your gums have started bleeding. All these could be signifying dental problems. If they are, the sooner you visit a dentist, the sooner the problem will be addressed. This means any problem will have less time to take root and less time to develop into anything more serious.
If you keep up a good oral hygiene regime and ensure that you are visiting your dentist regularly, you are maximising your chances of keeping a gleaming smile. Even without the host of cosmetic interventions that are available at your dentist nowadays, these simple steps will keep you even closer to rivalling a smile like one of Christie or Denzel’s.