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A smile sends across a message, and a beautiful smile tells much more. A beautiful smile is more than a perfect dentition. One’s dentition is dependent on different factors including genes, but a great dentition with poor hygiene gives an ugly smile which can be unsightly.

A healthy mouth avoids embarrassing situations like mouth odours and promotes confidence, not to mention avoiding the pain associated with tooth cavities, tooth decay, gum diseases or oral cancer.

In protecting our smile, we protect our lives too. To protect your smile, you need to have a routine, give the dentist time for his own routine, know the dos and don’ts, and eat right.

Your routine involves:

1. Brushing Twice Daily

Brushing at morning and night avoids the layers of bacteria and other microorganisms which eat into the enamel, causing cavities. The enamel is a covering which protects each tooth, and once eaten into, leaves the tooth defenseless. Brush twice daily, and spend about two minutes at every session, not rushing through it. Brush every surface, and your tongue too.

2. Having A Flouride Toothpaste And Mouthwash

Flouride protects the enamel, and thereby helps to further protect your teeth. Your toothpaste should contain about 1,350-1,500ppm of flouride. A make-do mouthwash can be done at home, consisting of salt and warm water. It should be gargled with after every brushing and flossing.

3. Flossing

Flossing gets rid of the food particles your toothbrush may not get to because they are lodged between the teeth. Get a packet of tooth floss and floss daily, preferably after the night brushing and before the night gargle with a mouthwash. Floss between every teeth as convenient as is possible.

4. Visiting Your Dentist

If you notice the slightest trouble or pain with your teeth, visit your dentist and don’t wait till it gets worse. Also, with or without a problem, visit your dentist every six months.

Your dentist’s routine may involve:

Inspecting your teeth
Cleaning the surface of each tooth
Scraping any hard, built-up plaques

The dos and don’ts include

- Quit smoking: this increases the risk of oral cancer and stains the teeth.

- Avoid alcohol: alcohol weakens the enamel and also increases the risk of oral cancer

- Avoid sugary and stick foods: these are great breeding grounds for the bacteria which eat into the enamel. They should be greatly reduced.

- Eat crunchy foods like apples and carrots. These aid in cleaning up the teeth of sticky foods.

- Eat a balanced diet: A balanced meal contains many of the bacteria fighting nutrients needed by the body.

- Eating right helps in living right.

- Replace your toothbrush every three months

A smile speaks volume, and a beautiful smile is incomplete without a clean dentition. Protecting your smile increases and maintains its beauty. Protecting your smile and protect your life.