Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to get up close and personal with a special someone. Even if your heart says yes, though, what about your mouth? Bad breath, yellow stains, and uneven teeth can really ruin the mood and wreck your confidence.
Fortunately, there are ways to correct these dental issues and make your mouth extra-kissable. This year, follow the oral health tips listed in this blog for a healthy and attractive smile.
Top Tips for a Perfect Valentine’s Day Smile
Take Care of Your Teeth
A confident and healthy smile begins with good oral hygiene habits. By taking care of your teeth every day and following these tips, your smile is guaranteed to look its best on Valentine’s Day.
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Brush twice a day for two to three minutes with a soft-bristled brush.
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Use fluoride toothpaste, and don’t rinse with water. The fluoride coats your teeth to prevent cavities.
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Softly brush your tongue to remove bacteria.
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Floss once a day.
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Rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash.
Eliminate Bad Breath
Nothing kills the mood like bad breath. Before Valentine’s Day, cleanse your mouth of off-putting odours by implementing a rigorous oral hygiene regime and visiting your dentist for a professional cleaning.
A quick trick to improving your breath is to chew sugar-free gum.
Limit Sugary and Acidic Foods
By no means do you have to say “no thank you” to the Valentine’s Day chocolate gifted to you by your significant other—just don’t make eating chocolate a regular part of your life. Chocolates and candies are full of sugar, which is detrimental to our oral hygiene.
When you consume sugary foods, the bacteria in your mouth turn the sugar into acid, which eats away at your enamel. Eventually, this leads to tooth decay and cavities.
Not all sweets are created equally. Chewy treats are particularly bad for your oral hygiene since they stick to your teeth. Additionally, dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate since it contains less sugar and additives.
Naturally, acidic foods like fruit, tea, and coffee also wear down your enamel.
Drink Lots of Water
If you’re thirsty, drink water. After all, juices, teas, coffees, and sodas can be very damaging to your teeth. Water, on the other hand, is good for your oral health since it rinses away the leftover food particles, sugars, and acids in your mouth. It’s especially important to remember to drink water after indulging in sugary or acidic foods.
Choose the Right Toothbrush
Good oral hygiene doesn’t end with brushing your teeth twice a day. You also need to be using the right toothbrush. Hard-bristled toothbrushes can actually wear down the enamel, thus damaging your teeth over time.
It’s crucial to exclusively use soft-bristled brushes. Toothbrushes should be replaced every three months or once the bristles start to look flattened. If you need extra cleaning power, switch to an electric toothbrush.
Don’t Share Toothbrushes
Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should. Even if you’re a couple that prefers to share everything, you should draw the line at your toothbrushes.
Your toothbrush is coated in bacteria from your mouth. When you share toothbrushes with your significant other, you are also sharing all these germs. Cavities can even be contagious, so your partner’s poor oral health can directly affect your own.
Things to Consider Before Valentine’s Day
Quitting Smoking
Smoking is terrible for your oral and overall health. No amount of brushing, flossing, or rinsing can undo the damage caused by smoking. Your teeth will look stained, your breath will smell, and you’re more likely to experience excess tooth decay and other severe health complications.
Whitening Your Teeth
Stained and yellow teeth can really put a damper on your smile. After all, everyone wants a bright, white, glistening smile to show off to the world, especially around Valentine’s Day! The last thing you want while on a date with a special someone is to feel self-conscious about your smile.
Fortunately, there is a range of safe and effective teeth-whitening options available today. Unfortunately, over-the-counter teeth-whitening products are not included in this list. These products take weeks to work—if they work at all.
If you’re desperate to brighten your smile, your dentist can help. Getting professional teeth whitening done by your dentist is highly effective and won’t damage your enamel. Additionally, a thorough dental cleaning can remove some stubborn stains before Valentine’s Day.
Coffee, tea, red wine, and smoking easily stain teeth, so limiting your consumption of these products (and quitting smoking altogether) can help to whiten your smile.
Fixing Any Cosmetic Issues
Just like with stained teeth, cosmetic issues can make you hesitant to smile. Fortunately, it is now possible to fix many cosmetic dental issues with modern dentistry.
Veneers, dental bonding, contouring, crowns, and clear aligners all work to correct uneven teeth. Some of these methods can be used to fix chipped and cracked teeth as well. Your dentist can help you decide which option is best for you.
Visiting Your Dentist
You should visit your dentist twice a year for a professional cleaning and check-up. This is the best way to catch developing oral issues early and prevent more serious conditions like tooth decay and gum disease. Additionally, your dentist can identify and treat cavities. The bacteria that causes cavities are contagious, which means you can accidentally share cavities with your sweetheart—not very romantic!
By visiting your dentist before Valentine’s Day, you can make sure that everything is in tip-top shape before your special date. Plus, your smile will look incredible after a professional cleaning and polishing session.
Bloor West Smiles is a professional teeth cleaning clinic in Toronto. If you’re feeling self-conscious about your smile before Valentine’s Day, we can help.
To learn more about professional teeth cleanings in Toronto, call Bloor West Smiles at 416-766-2853 or contact us here.
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