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A white shiny and healthy smile is something that most people desire. Discolored smiles or a lot of cavities can be the cause of embarrassment for many people. Having a root canal or even having to get braces can make us feel down. People will spend a millions of dollars each year in the quest for perfect smiles and teeth. With simple proper teeth care, those extremely healthy smiles can be easily obtained. Taking care of your teeth doesn't have to be a problem or chore. Here are some hints that can be put into practice immediately to start improving the health and appearance of your teeth.

Dentist

Make sure that you are actually brushing your teeth. Just moving the brush around for a few seconds isn't going to help you very much. Most people don't brush long enough (dentists suggest at least 2 minutes) or frequently enough (at least 2x per day). You should scrub for about 30 seconds in all four sections of your teeth for best results.

Look at a watch or timer if necessary. If you don't time yourself, you'll probably quit brushing too soon. There are some foods that you know are bad for your teeth: sugary junk food that you find in the candy aisle is a given. But what are the others? Were you aware that another thing that is not good for you is sugary gum? Increasing the saliva is what chewing gum does, and this profits you by cutting down the bacterium in your mouth, but sweetened gum winds up putting back sugars and crystals that saliva has rinsed away. Even stale bread sticks, crackers and chips are awful for your teeth besides. While fruit is generally healthy, dried fruit is bad for your teeth. And, you don't want to eat raisins: this probably makes you happy to know. Raisins are terrible for your teeth!

Dentists have updated their recommendation for the type of toothbrush you should use. Once, it was assumed that the firmer the bristles on a toothbrush, the more effective it would be to clean your teeth. Despite this advantage of a firm brush, this also has the disadvantage of causing damage to the teeth, which is why dentists now recommend a soft or medium brush instead. If you have any doubts about what kind of toothbrush to use, the best person to ask is your dentist.

It's always best to listen to your dentist!

Dentists used to have the school of thought that if the enamel had worn away on your teeth, there wasn't anything that could be done to replace it. Now, however, there are toothpastes you can use that help build up the enamel on your teeth so that you can replace what you've lost and make your teeth stronger than ever. It would be good practice to use these pastes once in a while so you can give your mouth the boost it needs. If your teeth seem to be susceptible to decay, you may want to think about using these pastes every day, or even twice a day if your dentist recommends it. It can seem amazing how just using common sense is involved in good oral hygiene. Good teeth care doesn't have to involve lots of expensive dental treatments or cosmetic enhancements. A healthy lifestyle is the main requirement for keeping your mouth fresh and clean. A healthy diet, daily brushing and flossing are often all you will need. However, sometimes little reminders like these can help you step up and gain even more protection.