Having a bright, white smile only seems to matter as you get older. As a child, how often did you spend caring for your teeth and gums? What happens is that you end up making up for neglecting your teeth at an early age. While the most notable signs of aging are wrinkles around the eyes or fine lines on the forehead, your smile has the most dramatic changes as you age.
It may come as a surprise to you, but your pearly whites are the first things that start to show signs of aging. Yes, even before you notice smile lines or thinning hair! You use your mouth daily, from speaking and chewing to smiling and expressing. It sucks the life force out of your face when it comes to aging. That said, an aging smile is much more than a few discolored teeth or a couple lip lines. Tooth stains are visible, but you may not notice that your enamel weakens as you age. Additionally, it’s possible to have microfractures or chipping. For functional and aesthetic appearances, you want to keep your smile as healthy as possible as you get older. How do you do that? Follow the dentist-supported tips below.
Keep Up With Oral Hygiene
This is not groundbreaking news, but prioritizing oral hygiene can lead to stronger, healthier, whiter teeth down the road. A healthy smile is the ticket to a beautiful smile. What that means is that you should brush your teeth twice a day with an ultrasonic toothbrush for optimal cleaning. Flossing, tongue scraping, using a gentle mouthwash, and staying hydrated are habits that maintain a healthy oral microbiome. All of these oral hygiene practices help maintain whiter teeth. By strengthening the tooth’s natural enamel, you can help eliminate buff stains and prevent them from developing in the first place. Stronger teeth and gums means a healthier, shinier smile.
A quick note about mouthwash is that you don’t want to use it all the time. Traditional antiseptic mouthwash is antibacterial by nature, but that means they can wash away the healthy bacteria that inhabit your mouth. Just like your gut, your oral microbiome requires a balance of good and bad bacteria. For that reason, don’t frequently rinse with antiseptic mouthwashes. You can use them infrequently, or rinse with non-antiseptic mouthwashes more regularly.
Invest In A Mouthguard
One of the most common signs of an aging smile is gum recession. Gum lines can creep higher up on the teeth than they should, and this happens with general wear and tear. Some people are more prone to gum recession based on genetics, while others can cause gum recession from teeth grinding or brushing too vigorously. If you are not prone to genetic gum recession, you can engage in certain habits that help you avoid it. If you grind your teeth, especially during your sleep, a mouthguard can be very beneficial. Additionally, consider brushing with a soft toothbrush, and try not to brush too hard. Be careful when you brush because you don’t want to push up on the gum tissue.
Don’t Brush Right After Eating
Let’s say you eat a meal with a lot of garlic or onion. The first thing you want to do, especially if you plan on leaving the house, is to brush your teeth. You may even brush your teeth after drinking coffee to reduce coffee stains. Staining foods and beverages tend to be quite acidic, so brushing immediately after eating or drinking rubs that acidic material all over your teeth. Instead of brushing, rinse your mouth with plain water to help prevent staining.
