Get a Glamurous Smile

On top of your teeth, there is a mineral coating that also happens to be the hardest substance in your entire body. While this is a very hard substance, it is still prone to breakage and wearing away. It is important that you take good care of your teeth and protect the enamel, otherwise you risk breaking your teeth. Here are some helpful tips for protecting your tooth enamel.

Rinse Your Mouth

Once of the biggest threats to the enamel of your teeth is acid. If you consume highly acidic foods or drinks, you should rinse with water to get that acid off your teeth. Acidic drinks that require rinsing include fruit juice, soda and some other carbonated beverages, and some liquors. Foods like oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits also have a lot of acid.

Cut Back on Sugar

Sugar is another enemy for your teeth, and especially the enamel. If you find that you are eating or drinking a lot of things with sugar in it, you may notice that your enamel becomes more sensitive and your teeth do not look as healthy. Like the acidic drinks, this often includes fruit juice and soda. There is also a lot of sugar in treats like candy and cookies, granola bars, sports drinks, fruit snacks, dried fruit, flavored yogurt, and even cough drops. Some starchy foods can also break down into sugar, including white bread, pasta, and potato chips.

Don't Use Your Teeth as a Tool

This is a very bad habit that you need to break now. You can start wearing away at the enamel of your teeth, as well as causing chips or cracks in your teeth. Only use your teeth to chew food. Don't chew on large cubes of ice, pen caps or pencil erasers, or use your teeth to open bottles or jars. You should also not be opening plastic bags, biting tags, or chewing on your fingernails.

Brush Gently

While you need to brush your teeth twice a day to keep them clean, you don't need to use too much pressure. Your toothbrush is already built to clean your teeth thoroughly, especially combined with dental floss. There is no reason you should be pushing so hard that the bristles on your toothbrush look like they were chewed on. Use only enough pressure to clean the surface of your teeth.

For more information, contact Bracker Susan or a similar dental professional.