Possibly the most important facial expression available to a human is the smile. When you meet new people, a smile projects friendliness and confidence and can make you instantly more approachable and likable. A healthy set of teeth goes a long way to making your smile even more charming. Additionally, you need them to chew food, make sounds and pronounce words when you speak, and shape your face.

BOTTOM LINE: your teeth are very important, which means preserving your teeth and keeping them in the best condition is important if they are to serve you properly. Without further ado, here are some things you should mind to keep your teeth strong and healthy.

Mind Your Dental Hygiene

As a rule of thumb, brushing your teeth in the morning and at night is a good place to start for dental hygiene. After each meal, bacteria that naturally occur in your mouth go to work on the little fragments of leftover food and their activities produce acids that erode the enamel of your teeth, causing tooth decay. So, brush your teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste after every meal. Flossing and gargling mouthwash after each meal will also help get rid of food particles and plaque-forming bacteria. Remember to change your toothbrush once in three months, as the bristles curve and become less effective with time.

Mind Your Diet

Your diet greatly affects the state of your teeth. Fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C are great for your teeth because vitamin C protects your gums from scurvy. Just about everybody likes a bit of sweetness, but consider replacing sticky sweets and desserts with crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples, coconuts, and carrots. In addition to tasting great, they have high fiber that help clean your teeth. Milk and cheese contain lots of calcium and are great for dental health as well. Drinking water after each meal also helps clear the mouth of debris and keeps saliva flowing.  

Mind Your Dentist’s Appointments

It’s important to check your teeth regularly for cavities and other signs of deterioration. Most people go to the dentist when they observe some kind of pain. Pain indicates that some damage has already occurred and you need curative measures to solve the problem. Proactive measures are far better and highly recommended. Take responsibility for your dental health and have your teeth examined by a professional, at least, once every six months.

Things to Avoid

• Soda and juice packs: these contain large quantities of sugar and acids that gradually eat away your enamel.

• Sparkling water: It seems innocuous at first glance, but it is more acidic than lemon juice, for example, and can erode the tooth’s enamel.

• All kinds of extremely cold drinks: sharp temperature drops put stress on the enamel and can lead to cracks forming in your teeth.

• Sticky sweets and candies: Keep these to the minimum or cut them out entirely. If, however, you are going to indulge, ensure you brush your teeth afterward to remove fragments that can become breeding ground for harmful germs.

• Hard-bristled toothbrushes: While it is a great idea to scrub your teeth with strong brushes, hard bristles wear down the enamel and expose the sensitive inner layers of your teeth.

The Case for Coffee

For a very long time, many have believed that coffee causes tooth decay. While it is true that the tannins in coffee can stain the teeth, it is more an issue of aesthetics than dental health. Recent studies have shown that some of the components of black coffee have antibacterial properties and can inhibit the growth of plaque-forming bacteria.  

Sugar and cream greatly diminish these properties though.  

So, you probably want to take your coffee black going forward.