How to maintain typically tremendous teeth, capable of raising a smile on any occasion.
The trend for teeth whitening is now 100% mainstream – just consult the brilliant, gracious grin of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for all the evidence you need that sparkly, special smiles can even stretch to the muddy corners of the training ground.
Yet for many of us, the cost or inconvenience of tooth whitening can prohibit our willingness to keep those incisors insanely white and healthy.
With that in mind, here are a few ways you can maintain whiter teeth at home, mostly using ingredients you already have in your cupboard!
The basics
Unequivocally, the best way to keep your teeth in gleaming second-glance demand, is to tend to your own regular, concerted, dedicated dental hygiene routine. It’s a basic necessity for anyone who wants to show off a smile, and while a humble toothbrush will never give you that feeling of semi-pampering you receive when going for a trip to the cosmetic dental specialist, regular brushing – with a dedicated teeth whitening toothpaste – will go a long way towards keeping your pearly whites looking their best.
Seize the power
When electric toothbrushes first hit the market in the early Nineties, many people thought them a gimmick, and something for people too lazy to brush their own teeth properly.
The reality though is different – in tests, electric toothbrushes consistently clean better than their manual counterparts, so consider investing in one if you’re serious about making your smile shine.
Floss like a boss
Flossing is a great way to minimise the build-up of plaque, the off-white matter that builds up on and in between your teeth that produces that gravelly, slightly unclean sensation when you run your tongue over the top.
Flossing is the number one dental process that we fail to stick to, but doing it every day will make a huge visible difference.
Stain removal
Ever wondered why some toothpastes contain baking soda? It’s because the soda content creates an alkaline environment in your mouth which, over time, will whiten your teeth.
While some baking soda toothpastes are priced highly, the reality is you don’t need to buy a fancy one as they all work in much the same way.
What’s more, you can even make your own at home. Just mix a little baking powder with your regular toothpaste, then follow up with apple cider vinegar diluted in water to kill any remaining bacteria.
Stain prevention
As they say, prevention is better than cure, so consider what you put your teeth through and adjust aspects of your diet to suit your new glimmering outlook.
In the first instance, cut down on black coffee and red wine. For sugar-rich soft drinks, consider drinking them through a straw as this rather more direct process limits the time stain-happy liquids swill around in the mouth.
Also try to load up your diet in foods that are rich in calcium, while including crunchy vegetables such as apples and carrots will actually create the action of removing plaque as you chew.
A slightly leftfield method for keeping your mouth and breath fresh throughout the day is to try ‘oil pulling’. Once a day swish a tablespoon of coconut oil around your mouth – keep it there for around 15 minutes. The oil pulls all bacteria out of your mouth, and the science suggests it brightens teeth too.
