Liskeard dentists ask ‘What does a healthy smile look like to you?’
As dentists we strive to keep your mouth, teeth and gums in great shape but what makes a smile look healthy in your opinion? This is the question the dental team at The Smile Centre in Liskeard asked and here are the top five things we discovered:
Clean and shiny teeth
When it comes to our teeth, it seems that debris, plaque and dull teeth are the epitome of poor health. Healthy teeth are spotlessly clean and shiny – and the best way to achieve this is by brushing our teeth for two minutes, twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste. The areas between our teeth are incredibly important too and to get to these hard to reach areas, we suggest using interdental brushes. These tiny brushes are inserted between the teeth to ensure any food particles or plaque are removed.
Fresh breath
Sweet smelling breath helps our mouths feel healthy – for us and for those around us. Bad breath or halitosis can be caused by a number of things including eating certain foods, poor oral hygiene, alcohol or tobacco use, dry mouth, or by some medical conditions. If the cause of your bad breath is poor dental health, then speak to our dental therapists, Vicky or Maxine. Hygiene therapists are specially trained to help improve the health of our mouths and do so by meticulously cleaning our teeth and gums. They can also provide oral health and smoking cessation advice.
White and bright
Yellow may be the ideal summer colour but when it comes to our teeth, they have to be white. Depending on how white you’d like to go, you can choose a thorough hygiene clean, air polishing, which uses water and a fine powder to return our teeth to their natural brightness, or tooth whitening, a quick, impressive and cost effective way to give your teeth a boost.
Stain free
Our teeth become stained by drinking tea, coffee and red wine, by eating certain foods, such as curries and by smoking. Certain medications can also affect the colour of our teeth, as can the ageing process. Whatever the reason, stained teeth can appear unhealthy, even if they are actually strong and dentally sound. A hygiene polish can help, as can tooth whitening but for a longer lasting result, composite bonding may be the solution. Layers of a strong, white filling material are added to teeth for dramatic results.
Pink gums
Inflamed, red and sore gums do not make for a healthy smile. To keep your gums in the pink and gum disease at bay, regular visits to your dentist and hygienist are vital.
If you would like to enjoy a healthier smile, the door to our dental practice in Cornwall is always open to new patients. We look forward to meeting you soon.