According to a recent study, almost 60% of Americans feel insecure about the way that their teeth look. As a result, about half of these people make every effort to keep their mouths closed when they smile to avoid showing off their teeth.
Are you ashamed to showcase your smile for whatever reason? If so, you should learn how to improve your smile so that you don’t have to worry about covering it up anymore.
There are a series of steps you can take to make your smile look so much better. Check out what you can do to bring your smile back to life below:
Make Sure You’re Brushing Your Teeth Twice Every Day
The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth twice every day for two minutes at a time. It seems like a simple enough task, right? Yet, the ADA says that about 30% of people don’t follow their recommendation.
If you’re trying to figure out how to improve your smile, begin by taking a step back and looking at your brushing habits. Ask yourself these questions:
- Am I brushing my teeth twice every day?
- Am I making sure that I brush them for two minutes at a time?
- Am I using a high-quality toothbrush to brush my teeth?
- Am I brushing my teeth the right way?
- Am I missing any spots in my mouth when I brush?
By evaluating your brushing habits, you can start to do a better job and begin to improve your smile in no time.
Floss on a Regular Basis, Too!
Brushing your teeth isn’t the only thing that you should do every single day to maintain your teeth. You should also pull out dental floss at least once each day and floss your teeth.
Sadly, a study conducted a few years ago found that only about 37% of Americans floss on a daily basis. Worse, more than 30% of people admit to not flossing at all.
When you don’t floss, plaque can build up in between your teeth and cause all kinds of dental issues. It can take a toll on your teeth over time and affect your smile in ways you may not have imagined.
Visit Your Dentist Every 6 Months to Get Your Teeth Cleaned
Do you take a trip to your dentist’s office once every six months for an exam? If not, start doing it right now if you want to improve your smile.
During a dental exam, your dentist will check your teeth and your entire mouth for any signs of trouble. They’ll also clean your teeth at the end to remove any stuck-on plaque and other imperfections that might be dragging down the appearance of your smile.
Talk to Your Dentist About Using Teeth Whitening Products
Have you been thinking about trying to improve your smile through the use of teeth whitening products? Run this idea by your dentist the next time you have an exam to see what they say about it.
There is certainly no shortage of teeth whitening products on the market today. You can purchase everything from teeth whitening toothpaste to teeth whitening strips if you want to try and get whiter teeth.
But not all of these products are going to produce the types of results you’re looking for. Your dentist can help you avoid wasting money by talking to you about the best ways to whiten your teeth based on the current condition of them.
Be Careful About What You Drink
If you want to steer clear of having to whiten your teeth in the first place, you should be extra careful about what you drink. There are a bunch of different beverages that can stain your teeth and cause them to yellow over time.
Coffee, for example, can start to stain your tooth enamel if you drink multiple cups of it every day. Red wine can also do a number on your teeth if you drink it several times every week.
If possible, it’s always a good idea to sip these kinds of beverages through a straw to prevent them from coming into contact with your teeth. Or at the very least, you should drink water immediately after drinking these beverages to prevent them from sitting on the surface of your teeth for any longer than they have to.
Generally speaking, drinking as much water as you can throughout the course of a day can work wonders for your teeth. It can prevent food particles and beverages from sitting on your teeth and stop tooth decay from setting in.
Replace Any Teeth You’ve Lost
Tooth loss is something that has become a common occurrence in the U.S. over the years. Roughly 36 million Americans don’t have any teeth at all, and more than 120 million Americans have lost at least one tooth.
Both of these numbers are expected to increase in the coming years, too. That means that there is a decent chance that you’re going to lose one of your teeth at some point in time.
If you do, it can impact your smile and make you hesitant to flash your pearly whites. Look into fake tooth options that will fill in the gaps in your mouth.
You won’t be worried about smiling once you’ve replaced any teeth that have gone missing.
There are dozens of benefits that come along with smiling. Studies have shown that smiling can improve your mood, make you feel more relaxed, and even eliminate chronic pain in some cases.
Make smiling a bigger part of your life by learning how to improve your smile and taking the necessary steps to do it. You can transform your life by making improvements to your smile and showing off your teeth more often than you do now.
Would you like to find out about some other things you can do to improve your teeth and your dental health as a whole? Read our blog to get more great advice on caring for your teeth.
