Healthy Mouth

1. Price says its hard to go wrong on paste or brush if you look for the American Dental Association (ADA) label of approval. This means a brush is firm enough to remove plaque but not tear up gums, he says. Choose a brush like you would a piece of silverware something that feels comfortable in your hand. The designation of Soft is preferred by most dentists. Dont use a brush more than three months, Price adds. That is the limit. If you use an elec .....

Start the Countdown

2. Your evening has been great. First, a romantic movie. Now, deconstructing it at a quiet wine bar. As you smile across the table, you think that a kiss is in the very near future. This lovely thought is suddenly and alarmingly replaced by, Do I have bad breath Is there anything between my teeth? The mood is dispelled by an emergency trip to the washroom to check the status of your mouth. You can cut down on your number of frantic restroom dashes b .....

Brush Your Teeth

3. The first, and perhaps most basic, way to keep your mouth healthy is to brush at least twice a day, in the morning and at night. And dont just focus on your teeth; you should spend 2 to 3 minutes each session brushing all surfaces of the teeth, your tongue and your palate. The mouth is full of a sticky bacterial substance called plaque. After eating (especially sugary foods), plaque unleashes acids that assault tooth enamel and can, over time, da .....

Floss Every Day

4. To keep your mouth thoroughly kissable, youll need to do more than just brush. Floss at least once a day. Its good for removing plaque and food particles between teeth and between teeth and gums. Use a long piece of floss: 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 centimeters). That way, each time you move to a new space you can use clean floss. Wrap the ends around your index fingers and run the floss vertically between your teeth and under the gum line. Rinse .....

Prevent Bad Breath

5. If youre cozying up for a kiss, youll want to avoid bad breath. Easier said than done Not if you understand what causes it. The sweetness of your breath is affected by your diet, your brushing and flossing routine, tobacco use and your health status. Strong foods such as onions and garlic are digested and carried through the bloodstream to the lungs; their scents are noticed when you exhale. In addition, if you dont floss and brush regularly, foo .....

Minimize Sugar Consumption

6. Whats worse for a kiss (and your health) than a mouthful of decaying teeth Every time you eat, youre providing fuel to the bacteria that attack your tooth enamel. Try to minimize the foods that are primary contributors added, refined and natural sugars. Obvious sugar sources like candy and soda should be limited, but also check food labels. Many foods have sugar lurking as an unexpected ingredient. Some nutritious foods contain natural sugars a .....

Visit Your Dentist

7. So far our list comprises do it yourself tips, but for ultimate kissability, youll need some help. See your dentist regularly; every six months is the usual recommendation. Some people, however, avoid checkups due to anxiety over the potential pain associated with dental work. This fear can be overcome by talking to your dentist, who can make adjustments to accommodate your concerns. Each regular office visit may encompass several procedures, inc .....

Avoid Tobacco

8. Smoking or chewing tobacco products can ruin the kissability of your mouth, leading to stained teeth, bad breath and receding gums. So if you want a healthy mouth, dont use tobacco. More serious oral health results include tooth loss, cancer, canker sores, bone loss and unsuccessful dental implants. According to the Journal of Peridontology (a field specializing in the study of the supporting structures for teeth), smokers are significantly more .....

Prevent Stains

9. Keeping your teeth healthy is great, but, to enhance kissability, teeth should be as white as possible. There are several ways to reduce stains. Going to the dentist twice a year can help enormously; you can go more often for a cosmetic cleaning to prevent stains from settling in. Regular brushing and flossing are essential, as is minimizing your use of stain inducing products such as tobacco, coffee and tea. For more severe stains, teeth may be .....

Use Fluoride

10. This next tip may be as easy as drinking a glass of water: Use fluoride to reduce cavities. Fluoride is often found in municipal drinking water. If you dont drink fluoridated water because you have a well or use bottled water, you may want to speak to your dentist about supplements. Fluoride is also a component of many toothpastes and mouth rinses. Fluoride becomes part of a tooths surface, protecting the enamel from the decaying acid released by .....

Avoid Gingivitis

11. Who wants to kiss a mouth full of bloody gums Gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease, is characterized by swollen and bleeding gums. It is uncomfortable and can be the first step toward tooth loss. Gingivitis is caused by plaque irritating the gums; if not corrected, the acids can break down the tissue, leading to periodontitis, which causes irreparable bone and gum loss. Regular brushing, flossing and professional cleaning can prevent gingiv .....

Use a Mouth Rinse

12. Now that youve done everything else on the list to make your mouth truly kissable, theres one last, quick refresher. In addition to brushing and flossing, your dentist may recommend an American Dental Association approved therapeutic mouth rinse. Such rinses have been judged to be safe for consumers and effective for specific uses, such as controlling gingivitis, delivering fluoride and controlling bad breath. Cosmetic mouth rinses are also avail .....

Eat a nutritious and balanced diet

13. Without the right nutrients, your teeth and gums are more prone to decay and gum disease. Choose foods from Canadas Food Guide to Healthy Eating. It is important that everyone maintains their calcium intake throughout life. Calcium helps us keep strong bones and teeth. .....

Visit your dental professional

14. Every year your mouth should be checked. Hard deposits called tartar should be removed. An oral checkup can reveal symptoms of other medical conditions such as diabetes and oral cancer. .....

Check your mouth and gums

15. Carefully check your mouth and gums for early signs of disease such as red, swollen or bleeding gums. .....

Go on a white teeth diet

16. If youre quaffing red wine and black tea, or smoking cigarettes or cigars, expect the results to show up as not so pearly whites. Other culprits to blame for dingy teeth include colas, gravies, and dark juices. Bottom line: If its dark before you put it in your mouth, it will probably stain your teeth. Brush immediately after eating or drinking foods that stain teeth and use a good bleaching agent, either over the counter or in the dentists offic .....

Chuck your toothbrush

17. or change the head of your electric toothbrush at least every two to three months. Otherwise, youre just transferring bacteria to your mouth. According to Beverly Hills dentist Harold Katz, D.D.S., the best way to brush is by placing your toothbrush at a 45 degree angle against your gums and gently moving it in a circular motion, rather than a back and forth motion. Grip the toothbrush like a pencil so you wont scrub too hard. .....

Clean your tongue

18. Use a tongue scraper every morning to remove tongue plaque and freshen your breath. One major cause of bad breath is the buildup of bacteria on the tongue, which a daily tongue scraping will help banish. Plus, using a tongue scraper is more effective than brushing your tongue with a toothbrush, says Dr. Katz. .....

Eat detergent foods

19. Foods that are firm or crisp help clean teeth as theyre eaten. We already mentioned apples (otherwise known as natures toothbrush); other choices include raw carrots, celery, and popcorn. For best results, make detergent foods the final food you eat in your meal if you know you wont be able to brush your teeth right after eating. .....

Brush your teeth with baking soda once a week

20. This will remove stains and whiten your teeth. Use it just as you would toothpaste. You can also use salt as an alternative toothpaste. Just be sure to spit it out so it doesnt count as sodium intake! Also, if your gums start to feel raw, switch to brushing with salt every other day. .....

Stay fresh

21. To check the freshness of your breath, lick your palm and smell it while its still wet. If you smell something, it s time for a sugar free breath mint. Shopping for mouthwash Make sure it is alcohol free. Most over the counter mouthwashes have too much alcohol, which can dry out the tissues in your mouth, making them more susceptible to bacteria. .....

Practice flossing with your eyes shut

22. If you can floss without having to guide your work with a mirror, you can floss in your car, at your desk, while in bed, and before important meetings. In which case, buy several packages of floss and scatter them in your car, your desk, your purse, your briefcase, your nightstand. .....

Brush your teeth when you first get out of bed and before you get back in at night

23. Theyre the two most crucial times, says Kathleen W. Wilson, M.D., an internist at the Ochsner Health Center in New Orleans and author of When You Think You Are Falling Apart. That s because saliva (which keeps cavity causing plaque off teeth) dries up at night, so it s best to have all plaque cleaned off the teeth before sleep. It s also important to brush first thing in the morning to brush off plaque and bacteria (morning breath!) that may have .....

Conceal with color

24. Ladies Choose a medium coral or light red lipstick. These colors make your teeth look whiter, whereas lighter colored lipsticks tend to bring out the yellow in teeth. .....