You look your best when you wear a smile on your face. Everyone prefers a smiling face over a frowned one. Since we are talking about smiles, one can never underestimate the role that teeth play in the beauty of a smile. Dental hygiene and care is mandatory if you wish to secure your beautiful smile for years to come.

However, the global statistics for dental care suggests that we do not care enough for our teeth. 60-90% of children who are in school and almost every adult suffer from dental cavities. Dental cavities are pretty common nowadays. And yellowing of teeth can now be seen in almost every other person. It spoils the smile and makes people conscious. By ensuring a few dental care habits in your daily routine lives, you can avoid yellow teeth. Let us discuss the tips and tricks to avoid yellowing of teeth.
 
1. Say no to specific foods: Yellowing of teeth is caused by food choices including coffee, red wine, sodas, juices, sports drinks, white wine, coloured candies and other artificially coloured foods. It will help if these foods are consumed in less quantity and frequency as they are the major contributors towards discoloration of teeth.

2. Water after every coloured drink: Here is a habit that you must inculcate in your routine, whenever you consume any of the above mentioned food items. Post every drink or food intake which can cause tooth-staining, top it up with a glass of water. When you swirl or gargle the water in your mouth, you remove the acids that get accumulated in your mouth. It is one of the simplest preventive measures one can implement to avoid tooth stains.
 
3. Dental Hygiene: Our parents and dentists kept reminding us all the time to brush twice a day and gargle with water post every food intake but did we listen to them as kids? No we did not. Proper brushing, flossing and going for dental checkups at regular intervals are sure shot ways to keep your teeth healthy for majority of your lifetime. One must develop these habits quite early in life to gain benefits from it.

4. Whiten those Yellow teeth:  You might be at that stage of your life where inculcating the above mentioned habits won't do much good. The damage might already have been done. Your teeth are probably yellowish already and you have a history of dental cavities. In this 21st century, there are ways to whiten your teeth artificially with the many alternatives available in the market. One can opt for a solution, which can be done at home itself or go for a laser whitening which is now possible at a dentist clinic.
 
So there is still hope for those who are unable to share that smile with the world due to the yellowing of teeth. Nothing is irreparable here and the health of your teeth lies in your hand.

How to Avoid Yellowing of Teeth

Why it's more important to brush your teeth in the night than in the morning

Most people wake up every morning and stumble to wash their teeth first thing. Do you believe that brushing your teeth in the morning is sufficient to keep your mouth healthy?

While it is important to brush your teeth in the morning for good oral hygiene, what goes on in your mouth all night is even more important. Brushing your teeth once a day is barely enough to maintain perfect oral hygiene. By brushing twice a day you can make the difference.

Do you know why it can be important to brush at night since you are only about to sleep?

Here are a few things that brushing before bed does.

1. Reduces acid build up

Everyone has acid being constantly produced in their mouths. The saliva secreted contains calcium which neutralizes the acid being built up. At night the saliva secretion slows down which allows the acids to get accumulated. The acids keep corroding the teeth all night. When you brush your teeth, the fluoride present in the toothpaste stimulates saliva secretion. So by brushing before bed you ensure that the saliva secretion does not fall drastically. In the process you prevent your teeth from getting corroded.

2. Reduce bacterial multiplication

The saliva in our mouth not only neutralizes the acid it reduces bacteria from multiplying as well. During the reduced saliva production, as you sleep, the bacteria in your mouth multiply manifold and attack your teeth and gums. This is why keeping your saliva secretion regular by brushing before bed is of utmost importance.

3. Reduce the decay of food particles

After you have your dinner just rinsing your mouth is not enough. Tiny food particles that get stuck in your teeth rot overnight. It is best to go to bed with a clean mouth rather than a mouth with tiny decaying food particles.

No matter how much of a task it might seem like, brushing at night is as important, if not more important, than brushing in the morning.

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Is it More Important to Brush Your Teeth in the Night Than in the Morning?

Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil is the Best Oral Hygiene Treatment

Oil Pulling is a traditional Ayurvedic way of removing all the harmful bacteria, plaque and decay causing microbes from your mouth. All you have to do is squish oil in mouth for 10-15 minutes and spit it out. The best oil for oil pulling is coconut oil, although it can be done with sesame, sunflower or mustard oil.

Coconut oil has antibacterial and antiviral activity which makes it ideal for bacteria heavy oral region. The antimicrobial power of coconut oil combined with goodness of oil-pulling technique makes your oral health concrete - it can’t get better. Besides, coconut oil tastes good too.

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Best and Cheapest Oral Hygiene Therapy: Oil Pulling with Coconut Oil 

Who doesn t love the smell and the freshness of a mouthwash splashing across their oral cavities?

Many agree that the first thing that comes to their mind when they want to eliminate bad breath is to use a good mouth wash. Moreover, mouthwash has moved over to other realms and are now actively fighting gum and tooth problems along with their elder cousin, a toothpaste. However, there exists some scepticism that prolonged usage of mouthwash may not be good for your health. Let us look at some definitions in detail.

Can mouthwash reduce bad breath?
Yes, a mouthwash can temporarily restrict bad breath, but it is never a permanent solution. A good oral hygiene comes from regular brushing and flossing practice and these are still the best ways to curb bad breath from its root. Mouth rinses are used for a variety of reasons: to freshen up breath, to help prevent or control tooth decay, and to reduce plaque

Is it necessary to use mouthwash?
A mouthwash is not mandatory to give a good oral health. An effective routine of brushing and flossing your teeth is enough to take care of good oral hygiene. Mouthwash is like an add-on to your oral care regime and is definitely not an alternative for brushing and flossing.

Advantages of using a mouthwash
A mouthwash can easily go into places between your teeth and gums and can help remove food particles that might have missed when you brushed. It can be used to kill bad odour of your mouth temporarily and can freshen up your breath. In some cases, a mouthwash may be recommended to treat infection, reduce inflammation and relieve pain

Disadvantages of using a Mouthwash
Most of the mouthwash contain a high amount of alcohol content in them and their prolonged usage is not safe for your mouth. In some cases, alcohol causes sensitivity to the root surface of your teeth and this may lead to adverse effect on the senses of your teeth. Mouthwash is strictly meant for spitting and accidental consumption may not be good for your health. They actually contain products that can be very harmful if taken in large amounts. It is generally not advised for children and even adults can limit their usage to twice a day. Always check with your dentist before you take up and use a mouth wash. It is also best if you can opt for a homemade mouthwash that has natural ingredients in them for taking care of your bad breath.

Mouthwash - Should You Really Use Them?

Natural and effective mouth fresheners

Bad breath is a condition in which a stale odor comes out of the mouth. Bad breath can be chronic and serious and a minor issue as well. It usually develops due to germ build-up inside the mouth. When a person eats or drinks anything except water, germ build-up initiates. These germs cause decay of food substances in the mouth, causing the odor. To tackle this problem, mouth fresheners must be used. There are numerous natural mouth fresheners that can be effectively used on daily basis.

1. Fennel seeds-
Chewing fennel seeds helps in eliminating bad breath after meals. You can also chew them whenever you feel that the germ build up has begun and an odor is coming out.
2. Mint leaves-
A spoonful of mint leaf juice can work wonder on neutralizing bad breath. It halts germ build-up immediately. You can also choose the easier option and simply munch onto some mint leaves.
3. Citric fruits-
Have a good portion of orange or sweet lime pulp whenever you experience bad breath. Citric acid in these fruits acts against the germs and the fruit dominates the odor forcing it to disappear.
4. Guava-
Not many people know that guava is an excellent mouth freshener. Don’t just eat the pulpy part of the fruit; consume it with the outer layer. The skin of this fruits effectively fights germs in the mouth, decreasing the bad odor.
5. Pomegranate-
The seeds of pomegranate must be regularly chewed to effectively tackle chronic mouth odor issues. It also works immediately on germ build-up and neutralizes it.
6. Clove-
Clove is an ideal cure not only to your bad breath but also to all your dental and oral problems. Rather than chewing it, it’s better to keep it on your cheek side and sucking it in every few seconds. It doesn’t let any germs to build-up in your mouth, at the same time it ensures better dental and oral health.
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You Can Never Have Bad  Breath If You Have These Natural Mouth Fresheners

Nasal congestion (blocked nose) can give you nightmares. The condition often results in people breathing through their mouth. Mouth breathing, once a while (due to factors that affect the nasal breathing) is understood. The main problem arises when people, especially kids continue to breathe through their mouth even under normal conditions. Nasal breathing is what we have learned and practiced all along. Breathing through the nose is a healthy practice that has many health benefits. Any alteration in this habit can have a deleterious effect on the health in the long run. It can alter the body dynamics and mechanisms, necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

Though cold and nasal congestion are the most common causes of mouth breathing, other conditions that often contribute towards this unhealthy postural habit include:
  Severe respiratory infections.
  Allergies which tend to block the nasal airway (either partial or complete).
  Kids who have a habit of sucking their thumbs or fingers are often found to breathe through their mouth.
  Sinus, enlarged adenoids or tonsils, hay fever, can also result in mouth breathing.

Harmful effects of mouth breathing
In mouth breathing, there is less absorption of oxygen into the bloodstream as compared to the nasal breathing. This oxygen deprivation can give rise to serious consequences and health problems.

Snoring and sleeping disorders (sleep apnea, often resulting from oxygen deprivation) are common among people who breathe through the mouth. Many people wake up with a terrible headache, feeling tired, irritated, and fatigued (in spite of having their full quota of sleep) in the morning. Unable to have a sound sleep often interfere with the overall performance of the affected person. Low levels of oxygen in the bloodstream can also result in hypertension and cardiac problems. Some people also suffer from brain fog (mental fatigue resulting in confusion and at times, hallucinations).
Dry mouth along with cracked lips is one of the harmful consequences of mouth breathing. Under normal situations, the saliva (in the mouth) prevents the bacteria from thriving within the mouth and causing infections. When the mouth becomes dry (less saliva), bacteria can easily thrive inside, resulting in infections (throat and ear), cavities, bad breath, Gingivitis (gum inflammation brought about by a bacterial infection).
A person with mouth breathing may suffer from digestive problems such as acid reflux, gas, and stomach upsets.
Believe it or not, but mouth breathing can give rise to skeletal and facial deformities (especially in children). The face may appear narrow and long, the chin and jaws lower, and the cheekbones often suppressed. There is also an improper alignment of the teeth (teeth appear crooked).
Mouth breathing can also lead to speech impediments, especially in children between the age group of 4-12 years. 

Mouth Breathing - Did You Know How It Is Bad For You?

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