Do’s & don’ts for healthy white teeth

It's easy to ignore the effects of poor oral hygiene because they're hidden in your mouth. But teeth can be seen and cannot be ignored. The worst consequence of poor dental health would be lost teeth and some painful time in the dentist's chair.

Do's

• Do brush twice a day, especially last thing before bedtime.
• Do floss between your teeth at least once every 2 or 3 days. It can be anytime after meals, preferably the last thing before bedtime 
• Do eat healthy. Foods like fruits and vegetables are good for you.
• Do take your daily recommended dose of calcium. Teeth act as a store for minerals like calcium in the body and low calcium in the diet makes teeth vulnerable. Drink milk or soy milk. Soy milk is a good source of calcium and it tastes good as well.
• Do go to the dentist regularly. Good dental health can be maintained by cleaning your teeth with special instruments that reach where you can’t and detecting cavities early.
• Do drink clean water; no fluid can substitute water in the body. Juices are not a good substitute as they can hasten tooth decay.

Don’ts 

• Don’t keep candy in the house. It is not a food group or nutritional source and you may eat it at the wrong time (like at night)
• Don’t substitute potato chips/nachos/ pop/soda for a real meal. They contain a lot of sugar, are acidic and not nutritional.
• Don’t stuff medicines like aspirin or orajel into the dental cavities when they hurt. They release chemicals that soften your teeth further. Aspirin is so acidic that it actually burns the soft tissue in your mouth. 
• Don’t smoke. Smoking causes the small blood vessels around the body to shrink. It causes yellow teeth, bad breath, plaque buildup, gum disease and slowed healing after dental procedures. So please quit smoking.
• Don’t abuse whitening strips. It is better to visit a dentist for regular cleaning and whitening. 
• Oh yes. Don’t get into fights. The most frequent cause of anterior tooth loss is a punch to the face. It is disfiguring. Please avoid instances that can lead to fighting, including drinking.