Post: 4 Easy Ways To Protect Your Smile

4 Easy Ways To Protect Your Smile

Image Credit

There is no denying the significant impact a smile can have any time you wear one. However, many Americans are reluctant to flaunt their smiles, with a OnePoll study revealing that 57% of Americans cover their mouths when laughing due to insecurities about their teeth. Luckily, there are numerous things you can do to create and maintain a healthy smile, and below are a few.

1. Invest in teeth whitening

A reported 67% of American adults have explored teeth whitening in one way or another, highlighting the undisputable fact that many people see the value in having a great smile. Therefore, consider the different kinds depending on your needs. You can use several teeth whitening products like toothpaste, strips, gel pens, custom trays, rinses, and laser whitening. Rinses and toothpaste are excellent solutions if you are a coffee or tea drinker, while you can use gel pens to touch up small areas like a stained tooth. Also, custom trays and laser whitening are worth considering for more dramatic teeth whitening results.

2. Wear a mouth guard during sports

Sporting activities are typically intense affairs that involve contact and roughhousing. Consequently, it isn’t uncommon to lose or crack your teeth when playing contact sports like soccer, basketball, field hockey, wrestling, and football. Furthermore, you can experience cuts on your cheeks and lips, as well as damage to your teeth’ crowns and roots from engaging in such activities. Therefore, consider wearing mouthguards to protect your mouth during contact sports and other activities like gymnastics and skateboarding that can lead to mouth injuries. However, you may still experience dental emergencies like a knocked-out tooth or chipped teeth due to scuffles and minor accidents in your daily life. In that case, you should contact an expert for help. For example, if you are in the area, seek any qualified emergency dentist Boynton Beach has to offer for urgent dental care when the need arises.

3. Give up smoking

Many experts agree that smoking is worth giving up for various good reasons, including preserving your smile. Smoking exposes your teeth to nicotine and tobacco, potentially turning your pearly whites brown or yellow over time, even if you aren’t a heavy smoker. In addition, smoking can cause tooth decay, resulting in large cavities around your gum line, leading to weak teeth and infections. Furthermore, smoking can cause periodontal disease, damaging perfectly healthy gums and causing them to recede. In addition, large pockets of space can develop around your teeth as your gums recede, causing dark spaces between your teeth and making them appear longer. Therefore, consider giving up smoking immediately to prevent your teeth from becoming more unsightly.

4. Limit your red wine, tea, and coffee intake

Coffee, red wine, and tea are known teeth stainers, so it is vital to limit your consumption of these drinks to preserve your smile. Much like smoking, these drinks can create a stain that your dentist can polish off, but sometimes they can also cause your tooth enamel to be stained on the inside.  Therefore, consider cutting down your intake of these drinks. Also, drink through a straw to avoid staining your teeth and lower your risk of tooth decay. Additionally, rinse your mouth with water after taking these drinks to prevent stains from sitting on your teeth for long.