Oral Hygiene Tips for Healthy White Teeth

This post is sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive

Being a food blogger means there is an array of food to try, and while the different types of cuisines satisfy the glutton in me, it is not necessarily a good thing. There are actually a lot of food that are bad for our teeth.

Lately, I did a little research on ‘teeth sensitivity’ as I have been experiencing sharp pains when I eat certain kinds of food. One of my discoveries includes the fact that regular consumption of food with high acidity (or acid content) is a common attribution to sensitivity. It is only then I realised that citrus fruits, tomatoes, and tea – all of which I consume on a daily basis – can cause enamel erosion.

Through this, I became more interested in learning how to take proper care of my teeth, and I would like to take this chance to share with you 5 important Oral Hygiene Tips for healthy and white teeth.

Brush your teeth at least twice a day.

Sounds simple, but not everyone does it. I know there are some people who always forget to brush their teeth after snacking at night. And there are also others who are too tired after a crazy night of partying.

It is very important to practice good oral hygiene; brush your teeth at least twice a day, and floss daily. However, you should not brush too often as it can damage your teeth. Brushing after lunch is fine as it helps to give you a good midday cleaning, but do not brush more than three times a day.

Following these simple steps can go a long way for healthy white teeth.

Use a tongue scraper to clean your tongue.

Build-up of bacteria on your tongue can cause bad breath. Besides brushing and flossing, you should also clean your tongue with a tongue scraper to remove tongue plaque.

Only use a good toothbrush.

The harder the brush, the greater the risk of harming your gums. I never knew this as I always thought that a harder and bigger brush was better.

It is better to brush longer than to brush hard. I am now using the Colgate SlimSoft toothbrush – which has “soft” or “extra soft” bristles; hopefully my oral condition will be improved.

Take care of your toothbrush.

Toothbrushes are breeding grounds for germs, and bacteria, which can build up to significant levels if you don’t take proper care. To keep your toothbrush (and yourself healthy), let it dry out between uses. After brushing your teeth, shake the toothbrush under tap water and make it stand in an upright position so that it can air out.

Change your toothbrush once every three months.

After talking to my dentist, I realised that it is important to change the toothbrush every three months. Oops, this is one of the mistakes that I’ve been making all along. I tend to be comfortable and stick with a toothbrush until it wears out. I will definitely be getting a Colgate SlimSoft once every three months.

Since we are at the topic of oral hygiene, I just want to urge all of you to go for a routine dental check-up as I realised that most of my friends have not gone for one in a long time.

I went for mine last week, and while I was pleased to hear that my overall teeth condition is fine, my wisdom tooth on the right is giving me a lot of problems. The dentist also advised me to use a softer toothbrush as I have inflamed gums.

I will share more about my experience of using new Colgate SlimSoft toothbrush in the next post. Have a good weekend folks!