Are you flummoxed by the vast number of products available in the dental care aisle? It’s hardly surprising. Manual, electric, sonic, inter-dental, bristle strength, handle design, head shape, the list goes on – and that’s just the toothbrushes! Add to this the other weird and wonderful items all promising to keep your teeth pearly white and your mouth in perfect oral condition and it can be hard to know where to start.
Don’t worry. The teeth experts at Harley Street Smile Clinic, are here to help. As the UK’s most experienced cosmetic dentistry clinic, we know a thing or two about looking after your smile. So, before you fork out on a cupboard full of teeth cleaning tools you’ll never use, take a look at our essentials list – with all you need to help keep your smile looking healthy and bright.
5 essentials for your smile tool kit
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Toothbrush
Top of the list is a toothbrush. Choosing correctly here is largely down to personal preference and what you find most comfortable to use. A key consideration though is the firmness of your bristles – typically available in soft, medium and hard – as whilst you may think ‘hard’ will be extra effective at removing plaque and stains, they can prove too abrasive for some people’s gums. An alternative is to try an electric toothbrush. Not only does this control your brushing technique and prevent overzealous scrubbing, it can also prevent you from applying too much pressure.
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Toothpaste
The choice of toothpaste is endless. In truth though, aside from choosing a minty fresh flavour with enough kick for your palate, all you really need to be looking for is a fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride helps to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay. Pastes that contain an array of other ingredients and whitening agents, can actually break down tooth enamel.
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Dental floss
Virtues of flossing are often talked about and making it part of your daily dental care routine is a great decision as it helps to remove plaque and food debris from areas that your toothbrush struggles to reach. If you find floss tricky, then try toothpicks or mini brushes. These interdental cleaning aids ensure you stay on top of all areas of your mouth and get fully between your teeth.
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Mouthwash
Using a mouthwash can provide additional protection for your smile. They are designed to provide extra benefits to reinforce the fight against plaque, gum disease and bad breath.
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Tongue scraper
Tongues can harbour all kinds of bacteria and are one of the main areas guilty of contributing to bad breath (studies have shown that brushing your tongue can reduce mouth odours by up to 70%). Tongue scrapers make a great tool kit addition, but your toothbrush can do the job just as well.
A popular reason why many people adopt an oral care routine, is in a bid to achieve a beautiful glowing smile – and there are a vast number of whitening products on the market that promise to help. In truth, the safest and by far the most effective way to whiten teeth, is to seek professional assistance.
Need a helping hand from the professionals?
With this toolkit, you can be confident you’re doing everything in your power to look after your teeth and oral health. Occasionally though, you may still need a helping hand to achieve the smile you really desire. Perhaps you have particularly stubborn stains that won’t shift, a chipped tooth you’re desperate to hide or gaps you’d love to be rid of? Well, the great news is that all these problems and more can be easily resolved with the help of our highly experienced cosmetic dentists.
Unsure about treating yourself to a cosmetic dental procedure? Your smile confidence can have a huge knock-on effect on many other aspects of your life and shouldn’t be overlooked. Check out our blog on why it’s important to show your smile some love, or even better, book yourself a free no-obligation e-consultation, to chat to the experts. We’re open as usual and are here to help.
