Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Smile at Home

Keeping good oral hygiene habits at home will help maintain a flawless smile. But there’s more to home oral care beyond brushing your teeth, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash regularly. And while regular dental checkups are essential, numerous other strategies exist to enhance your oral hygiene and prevent common dental problems.

Adopting some innovative and lesser-known tips to help you maintain a radiant smile can be beneficial. Find out what these tips are right here.

Uncommon Oral Hygiene Habits That Are Often Overlooked

Brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash should already be part of your daily routine. But what about some uncommon ones that are often overlooked? Take these two, for example.

Mindful chewing and saliva production

Saliva has a strong role in maintaining oral health. It helps clean the mouth, neutralize acids, and prevent tooth decay. Chewing slowly and thoroughly will stimulate saliva production, which acts as a natural cleanser. Meanwhile, consuming celery, parsley, and citrus fruits (in moderation) can boost saliva flow.

Another way to promote saliva production is chewing sugar-free gum containing xylitol. This will reduce cavity-inducing bacteria. However, remember to choose products with natural sweeteners instead of artificial ones.

Tongue care for oral and digestive health

Did you know tongue scraping can keep your mouth healthy? Using a tongue scraper can remove bacteria and food debris more effectively than brushing your tongue.

A clean tongue reduces bad breath and supports digestive health by improving the efficiency of your taste buds and saliva enzymes.

For maximum effectiveness, use a stainless steel or copper tongue scraper. Scrape the tongue after brushing once or twice daily.

Cleaning techniques for dental crowns and bridges

Do you have dental crowns or bridges? Have you had orthodontic procedures done? If yes, standard brushing and flossing may not be enough.

To clean hard-to-reach areas without damaging your dental work, use interdental brushes or water flossers. These tools can also be beneficial for people with braces or permanent retainers. If you’re unsure what to use, consult your dentist for personalized recommendations.

Diet Choices for a Long-Lasting Smile

People often forget that what they eat or drink can also influence their oral health. Here are the food and drinks you should consume for an everlasting healthy smile.

Combining food nutrient-rich with calcium

Calcium is vital for strong teeth, but whether your body can easily absorb it depends on other nutrients like vitamin D and magnesium. Pairing calcium-rich foods with nutrient-rich foods enhances calcium absorption and maintains teeth integrity.

Check out the following food combinations for nutrient-rich foods that pair well with calcium:

• Smoothie with spinach, banana, and soy milk
• Salmon salad with kale and pumpkin seeds
• Greek yogurt with chia seeds and sunflower seeds
• Scrambled eggs with spinach and whole-grain bread
• Tofu stir-fry with bok choy and sesame seeds

Consuming foods beneficial for oral health

Other foods also offer surprising benefits for oral health. Some of them are:

• Black and green teas contain compounds that reduce plaque buildup and fight bacteria. When consumed without sugar, these teas can protect against cavities.
• Fermented foods: Yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut are rich in probiotics that support a healthy oral microbiome, which contributes to preventing gum disease and bad breath.
• Crunchy fruits and vegetables: Apples, carrots, and cucumbers help clean plaque, massage gums, and stimulate saliva production and flow.

Psychological Tricks for Better Oral Hygiene Habits

Our minds can help us reinforce good oral hygiene habits. Here’s how you can perform some psychological tricks to enhance your oral health:

• Perform habit stacking for consistency. Habit stacking (linking a new habit to an existing one) can help you stay on track. For example, pair your dental routine with your skincare routine or evening meditation. This approach can help you complete all of the steps.
• Use visual reminders: Place sticky notes or a timer near your bathroom sink or a mirror to support your routine. As time goes by, these cues help solidify your oral care habits.
• Take advantage of technology: Tracking your health via apps on your phone can be fun. Use apps designed for dental health and create a smile chart to monitor your oral hygiene routines.
• Set a reward system: Give yourself a small reward every time you reach a milestone. This can motivate you to keep going. For example, if you floss twice daily for 30 consecutive days, you can have a cheat day and drink something sweet.

Keep Up with Your Dental Visits at St. George

Mindful chewing, promoting saliva production, and tongue scraping are uncommon habits you can adopt other than the regular brushing and flossing routine you already have going. These activities also help maintain your oral health. Furthermore, healthy eating habits will contribute even more to oral health. Lastly, keep your oral routine alive with some psychological tricks.

Other than these at-home tips you can follow, remember to schedule regular dental visits at Riverside Dental Care at St. George. Add dental cleanings to your routine to sustain your beautiful smile.