Straight teeth and a bright smile might be two of the first things you notice about a person, but there’s a lot more that goes into optimal oral health. From your lips to your gums to your teeth to your tongue, every component of your mouth must be included in your daily routine for oral health. Luckily, each step is surprisingly simple. Here are ways to take care of your oral health, plus a quick toothpaste guide, bonus tips on whitening your teeth, a homemade lip scrub recipe and lip balm recommendations.

#1 Stick to a Thorough Daily Oral Care Routine

There are several important components of a daily oral routine that all play critical roles in keeping your teeth and gums healthy outside of the dentist’s office.¹

• Brush your teeth at least twice per day. Most dentists recommend that you brush once in the morning as you start your day and again in the evening just before climbing into bed. You can also brush after eating your lunch to prevent midday bacteria growth and bad breath, but be gentle to preserve your tooth enamel.
• Clean your teeth and gums properly. Using small circular motions and short back-and-forth strokes, gently brush your teeth on all sides with a soft-bristle brush. Remember to brush carefully but thoroughly along your gum line as well.
• Don’t forget your tongue. Brushing your tongue daily is one of the best defenses against bad breath. Gently brush your tongue with your toothbrush whenever you brush your teeth to remove unwanted, foul-smelling bacteria.
• Floss regularly. Clean around your teeth with dental floss every time you brush to remove those harder-to-reach food particles that lead to bacteria growth, plaque formation and more.
• Rinse with mouthwash. Once you finish flossing, reach for your preferred rinse to remove any remaining bad breath-causing agents that your toothbrush and dental floss may have left behind.

#2 Get Regular Dental Checkups & Cleanings

Proper daily oral hygiene can help prevent a slew of issues that require professional attention, but it doesn’t replace biannual check-ups and cleanings with a dentist and dental hygienist.² These exams take a much closer look at your oral health than you can manage in your own home. Dentists use X-rays to check for cavities in between your teeth and special tools to analyze your gum health. Hygienists then use their own specialty tools to remove plaque buildup that could otherwise become tartar or cavities over time. These dental exams and cleanings every 6 months are core parts of optimal oral care that should be prioritized.

#3 Look Inside Your Mouth Regularly

On the days that you’re not in the dentist’s chair under a magnifying mirror, it’s important to practice a little self-awareness with what’s going on in your mouth. Take inventory regularly of how your teeth and gums feel. If you notice any sudden or persistent tooth pain or sensitivity, that’s a sign that you should make a appointment with Durango, CO Dentists to get it checked out by a professional. The same goes for any chronic gum inflammation. Basically, if something doesn’t feel quite right, address it with your dentist as soon as possible.

#4 Eat a Well-Balanced Diet

Eating a wide variety of nutrient-dense whole foods promotes healthy teeth and gums in some pretty big ways. Calcium-rich foods like milk, yogurt, cheese, tofu, canned salmon, almonds and dark leafy greens help promote strong teeth. Foods high in phosphorus like eggs, fish, lean meats, dairy, nuts and beans also help keep your teeth strong. Meanwhile, vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, potatoes and spinach can play an active role in maintaining gum health. What’s more, snacking on fresh, fibrous produce like apples, carrots and celery can help you prevent plaque buildup on your teeth as you chew.

#5 Reduce Your Sugar Intake

Eating less added sugar is a core component of following a well-balanced diet, but it’s worth mentioning independently when it comes to oral health. When you eat sugar, it interacts with the bacteria and plaque already in your mouth to form an acid. This acid then erodes your tooth enamel over time, increasing your risk of tooth decay, cavities and more.⁴ Brushing, flossing and rinsing after having a sweet snack can help minimize some of this risk, but it’s still important to keep your sugar consumption in moderation. And check out How to Replace Sugar with Healthier Alternatives.

#6 Limit Your Coffee, Soda, Tea & Alcohol Consumption

Plenty of drinks can also lead to unwanted tooth stain and decay if consumed too frequently and in high quantities. Both alcohol and soda contain lots of sugars that, like we mentioned earlier, create a more acidic environment in your mouth that promotes enamel erosion. Meanwhile, coffee is highly acidic on its own and the dark tint can easily stain even the whitest of teeth. Tea is usually only mildly acidic, but it carries similar stain risks as coffee. That doesn’t mean you need to leave them out of your diet entirely, but drink plain water when possible and follow other drinks with a glass of water and do an extra rinse with mouthwash when you’re done.

#7 Update Your Supplement Routine

We previously mentioned that eating a diet rich in calcium-loaded and vitamin C-laden foods can help promote both tooth and gum health. But if you’re worried that you’re not getting enough of these nutrients from food alone, there are plenty of supplement options that can help you give your mouth the nutrition it needs. Just remember to pair your calcium supplement with vitamin D to help your body absorb it, and you can also explore vitamin C powders designed to be mixed into a glass of water or smoothie if you want to try something a little different from a standard tablet. Also, try an oral probiotic which pulls double-duty to promote oral health and boost your immune defenses.

A Quick Guide to Picking the Right Toothpaste

Your toothpaste options are virtually endless, which means you’re bound to find a formula perfectly suited to both your oral care needs and taste buds. Many dentists recommend using a fluoride toothpaste because of its ability to promote overall oral health. But there are plenty of healthy options on the market today that don’t include fluoride and still offer benefits. Xylitol is another popular active ingredient due to its oral health-promoting properties. Coconut oil is a common natural option that is safe for most people as well.

At the end of the of the day, most toothpaste is going to help you maintain a healthy oral care routine, so it’s really just a matter of preference. Bring any questions and concerns you may have about toothpaste to your dental care provider and see what they recommend for your specific situation. It may take a little trial and error to find the product that gives you that clean mouthfeel you want, tastes pleasant and provides the health benefits you need, but it’s worth taking the time to experiment.

Natural Ways to Whiten Your Teeth

Now that we have the basics of oral care covered, let’s address something that everyone is curious about: making those pearly whites even whiter. The color of tooth enamel dulls and yellows over time no matter how meticulous you are with your diet, drink choices and dental hygiene. But the good news is there are ways to make your smile sparkle again.

• The combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda is one of the most popular natural teeth whitening methods. It helps to both clean your teeth and whiten their appearance. Only use it occasionally though, as in high quantities can strip your tooth enamel.
• Activated charcoal, a black powder made from coconut shells, is an especially trendy option. Activated charcoal is a highly absorbent and porous substance that can bind to the things that stain your teeth. To protect your tooth enamel, only use this method occasionally.
• Another popular method involves coconut oil in a practice called oil pulling. This ancient Ayurvedic technique has been used for thousands of years. Simply swish the oil around in your mouth as vigorously and thoroughly as possible for up to 20 minutes. Then spit it out into your garbage can (not down the drain).
• Apple cider vinegar is a popular natural cleaning product and disinfectant because the active ingredient, acetic acid, effectively kills bacteria. The antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar make it useful for cleaning your mouth and whitening your teeth. However, acetic acid in high quantities used too frequently can erode tooth enamel, so only use this method occasionally.

Give Your Lips Some Love

Don’t worry—in all of this talk about teeth and gums, we didn’t forget about your lips. Once you’re done tending to the inside of your mouth, it’s time to focus on the outside. The skin on your lips is similar to the skin covering the rest of your body—it relies on the proper balance of moisture and nutrients to remain healthy and comfortable. But before you moisturize, it’s important to gently exfoliate and reveal the freshest layer of skin craving that moisture. Here’s our very own homemade lip scrub recipe that we use weekly to keep our lips soft, smooth and healthy.

Homemade Lip Scrub Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 part raw, organic brown sugar
• 1 part raw honey
• 1 part coconut oil or olive oil
• A drop of vanilla extract
• A dash of ground cinnamon

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Apply the mixture to your lips and gently massage it into your skin in circular motions for 30 to 60 seconds. Rinse it off with warm water, dab your lips dry with a washcloth and apply your favorite moisturizing lip balm when finished.

Our Favorite Lip Balm Recommendations

On the market for a new lip balm? You’ve come to the right place. We keep a tube in our pockets, desk drawers and purses at all times to make sure we’re never caught with dry, cracked, uncomfortable chapped lips.

Sometimes, as we start a new year, a new decade, there is pressure put on us all to set new goals and challenges for the year ahead. If you are already feeling the stress of where to begin for some of those goals, a simple place to start can be looking at your health. Ask yourself what small changes I can make every day to bring about a positive change in my health.

A healthier diet swap, thirty minutes walking throughout my day or something that is often overlooked like changing that toothbrush or planning that dental visit for the year ahead.

Durango, CO Dentists recommend changing your toothbrush when the bristles have become frayed or at least every three months. If the bristles become frayed they lose their effectiveness so you will not get an accurate clean. Research has shown that a new toothbrush can remove the plaque biofilm that if not removed can lead to dental decay, gum disease and poorer oral health. This is a simple resolution you can add to the New Year ahead that helps give you a happier healthier smile. It is also best practice to change your toothbrush after being ill. Whatever toothbrush you use, change the head regularly. Electric toothbrushes are scientifically proven to be better than manual toothbrushes at removing plaque biofilm.

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It is also important to remember to change your toothbrush when you are sick. Toothbrush bristles do not kill bacteria in the mouth, protect you against disease or prevent you from getting sick. Make sure you change your brush regularly for maximum effectiveness and to practice diligent hygiene, despite the type of toothbrush you’re using.

There are two styles of toothbrush that you can choose from: manual and electric. Choose whatever brush feels comfortable and makes you want to brush your teeth.

The manual toothbrush:

A manual toothbrush is portable and ready to use at any time. It makes no noise and you have complete control on the pressure you put on your teeth and gums.

The electric toothbrush:

This requires charging and is slightly more awkward when travelling. The rotating movement of the bristles make it easier to clean between your teeth and the gum line. Many electric toothbrushes have built-in sensors to make sure you brush long enough and that you don’t press down too hard.

Remember:

Always keep your toothbrush clean as your toothbrush is your first line of defence against the bacteria that causes gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath. After brushing your teeth, rinse the lingering saliva and toothpaste off your brush. Store your toothbrush in an upright position, ensuring the bristles air dry. Always make sure your brush is dry between uses.

It is important to keep your toothbrush from touching others when it is stored. A toothbrush holder with slots for several brushes to hang upright is a worthwhile investment in your family’s health.

As a result of the serious global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, access to dental care is likely to be more difficult than usual for indeterminate amount of time. Here is what we recommend as the most important steps for maintaining a healthy smile during quarantine.

KEEP A PERFECT ORAL HYGIENE

Your holistic dentist Durango, CO probably recommends brushing your teeth at least twice a day. Should you be spending more time at home thought, it will be a great idea to brush after each meal and snack, especially if you had a sticky or sweet one.

For a healthy mouth during quarantine, remember also to floss at least once per day. Flossing removes plaque that is not removed by brushing and that can eventually harden into calculus or tartar and harm your beauty smile.

QUIT ON BAD HABITS LIKE DRINKING AND SMOKING

We all know that smoking is harmful for our teeth and gums and for our health, in general. Given the fact that coronavirus is particularly dangerous for people with respiratory issues, you have one more reason to consider quitting on this bad habit.  Smoking lowers your body’s immune function and makes you more exposed infections, including ones in your gums and ones in your lungs. Quitting smoking can lower your chances of getting diagnosed with gum disease and many other health conditions, including COVID-19.

Apart from smoking, bad habits, like drinking too much coffee or  regular consumption of alcohol can also be harmful for your smile, thus, consider quitting on those too for the sake of your good health.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY DIET

Maintaining a healhty diet can improve your oral health, next to boosting your overall immune system and making your body more resistant to any viruses. Choose on a diet, containing plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as foods that are rich in  phosphorous and calcium, as those two elements are the building blocks of enamel.

Avoid eating too much sugar, as sweets encourage the growth of bacteria and could be harmful for your teeth. Make sure to rinse your mouth with water or brush your teeth immediately afterward consuming sugary foods.

In addition, try to avoid energy and soda drinks, as they tend to have a high acidic content that wears away tooth enamel, next to containing  high amount of sugar. Instead, drink plenty of fresh water and herbal tea, as those will hydrate your body and will be beneficial for your teeth and gums.

EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN

Now that you’ll be spending most of your time at home, you have a great opportunity to teach your children how to take care of their smile, along with how to eat healthy and stay healthy. Spend time brushing your teeth with your children, to ensure they are practicing the proper technique and ensure they are brushing their teeth at least twice a day

Dental health and care is vital for everyone because we do not have any substitute of teeth that perform such an important function of chewing the food. Can you imagine swallowing food without chewing?

Can we digest the food that is not chewed? Certainly not! Despite this, most of us do not take proper care of our teeth and eventually suffer from various conditions and problems including the tooth loss in later part of life. The fact is that teeth can be saved from these problems and losses if proper care is taken and best hygiene practices are incorporated in daily routine by the person.

However, this seldom happens and many reasons and misconceptions can be cited for the negligence and ‘for granted’ mentality of people. Here are 7 common misconceptions and dental myths that people generally have. Have a look on these –

1. I am taking demanded care of my teeth. No need to worry, therefore!

Most people have a common conception that they are taking proper and demanded care of their teeth. Their habit justifies their routine of daily dental care and they remain busy in their life for years; after which the first problems start to manifest. Often, it is too late to adopt a better and desirable dental health routine in life! One should therefore learn the correct techniques of brushing and flossing.

2. I need to visit a dentist only when there is a problem

This perception that people generally hold about dental clinics is very old and still continues; especially in societies where the awareness is low and people shy visiting a dentist except when they face the problem.

3. A regular visit to dental clinics is futile!

A corollary of above misconception is that regularly visiting the dentist clinic is useless. Even aware people who are not having any problem try delaying their appointment with the dentist. Regular visit to dentist can save you from potential complications by early diagnosis of the problem that is developing in a latent manner.

4. Food habits are not concerned with dental health

The types of food choices you adore strongly determine your dental health; while most people fail to recognize this fact! Sticky foods and heavy sugar beverages can be surely harmful to your teeth in multiple ways. Children looking to reduce cavity possibilities need to shun junk fooding.

5. Brushing properly once is good

This is another dental myth that if I am brushing thoroughly once at the start of the day then it is perfect. Actually brushing before going to bed is vital to remove the food particles on which the germs get full opportunity to thrive for a whole night and develop plaque.

6. Dental health has nothing to do with overall health of mine

Even educated and aware people do not know the fact that dental health is interwoven with core health of the person and some complications in teeth can be potentially dangerous for overall health also!

7. Dental checkups are waste of money

By visiting a holistic dentist in Durango, CO for a checkup can prevent the problems of developing and thus actually your money is saved multiple times!

By clearing these 7 misconceptions, you can save your teeth for long and start assimilating the best counsels in your life.

It’s something that you’ve heard over and over but why are regular dental visits so important?

Dental appointments shouldn’t just be made when you have a problem that needs to be addressed. Prevention is always better than needing a cure and there are plenty more reasons why it’s important to maintain regular visits to your local dental practice:

1. Check for mouth cancer

This is one of the most important things your dentist will do at every check-up. Dentists will do an examination for signs of mouth cancer, as well as head and neck cancer. To do this they will be checking for any lumps on your head or neck. They will also check for any red or white patches in the mouth. Usually these checks will find nothing unusual, but they could potentially save your life.

2. Dental hygienists

Dental hygienists and therapists are often overlooked when it comes to our oral health, but they can be extremely valuable for both the services they can offer and the advice they can give. Dental hygienists are mainly concerned with ‘preventive’ dental health and treating gum disease – showing you correct home care and helping you to keep your teeth and gums healthy. This includes professionally cleaning your teeth (usually called a ‘scale and polish’) by removing plaque and tartar, both of which encourage tooth decay and gum disease.

3. Consultations about tooth whitening

Tooth whitening has grown in popularity over recent years but there are plenty of myths out there that can lead to confusion about what is safe, as well as issues of legality. Your dentist is in the best position to give you advice about your options when it comes to tooth whitening. They are in the best position because not only do they know a lot about teeth whitening but they are also the only place you can legally get your teeth professionally whitened.

For more information about tooth whitening check out our ‘Tooth Whitening Information Group’ page.

4. They can catch things early or prevent them from happening

With just a mirror you can see how your teeth are looking but underneath your gums a lot can be going on without you even realising it. Dentists not only solve problems, they can prevent them. Potential problems they can spot include the onset of gum disease and dental decay. When it comes to your oral health it is important you are proactive and seeing your dentist regularly so that they can catch any issues early, before they become a problem.

5. Dentists can provide help and advice specific to your needs

Often when people have a problem they turn to the internet, a placed filled with lots of great information, but also misinformation. On the other hand, a dentist has had to train for years to be qualified in the profession and will provide guidance you can trust. By visiting your dentist regularly you can build a good relationship that will allow them to tailor advice and support specific to your needs over a long period of time.

There really isn’t anyone better placed to help you keep on top of your oral health than your dentist, so they should be your first port of call when it comes to concerns about your teeth and mouth.

Holistic Dentist Durango, CO with a strong emphasis on preventive dentistry will be able to give you further advice on protecting yourself against gum disease.