It’s not as simple as brushing your teeth and calling it a day. Keeping your teeth healthy takes a few extra steps! Here are some tips you might not have heard before:
How to Floss:
Without flossing, millions (yes, millions) of bacteria can feast on the gunk between your teeth, forming acids that, over time, cause cavities and irritate the gums. Hold a piece of floss between your fingers, roughly two inches apart. Place the strand between your teeth, and pull it gently to one side so it forms a C. Shimmy it up and down, making sure to get below the gum line.
How to Buy Toothpaste:
Find a cavity fighter. Fluoride is the only ingredient approved to fight cavities. You’ll see it listed as sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, or stannous fluoride, and it helps enamel patch itself up before decay can lead to a cavity. Most pastes also have a base like baking soda to neutralize acids that rot teeth (that’s what fluoride- free ones rely on for protection).
For sensitive teeth: You’ll need a desensitizer, too. Arginine bicarbonate plugs the exposed pores in your teeth for immediate relief, while other ingredients, such as potassium nitrate and strontium chloride, block pain signals to the brain.