Tips to Make Your Mouth Kissable on Valentine’s Day & Year-Round

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, which means one thing: getting up close and personal with the one you love.

For those who are self-conscious about their smile or the overall state of their mouth, now is the perfect time to start focusing on your oral health and getting your mouth into tip-top shape.

So to help make your mouth extra kissable this Valentine’s Day, here are tips for improving your oral health habits and resolving common oral health issues such as stained teeth and bad breath.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING ORAL HEALTH YEAR-ROUND

Since oral health is linked to overall health and well-being, it’s important to take care of your teeth not only for Valentine’s Day but for every day of the year.

Along with following a daily oral health routine, visit your dentist regularly to keep an eye on your oral health and spot any underlying health issues, such as dark spots, decayed teeth, and swollen gums. These oral health problems can cause pain, discomfort, embarrassment, and low self-esteem if not addressed.

There is also a distinct relationship between gum disease, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. And dentists are usually the first health care practitioners to spot signs of oral cancer. So by taking care of your mouth with good oral hygiene and visits to your dentist, you are also taking care of your overall health.

COMMON ORAL HEALTH CONCERNS TO GET IN CHECK BEFORE FEBRUARY 14

If you suffer from any of the following oral health concerns, visit your dentist to help make your mouth clean, fresh, and extra kissable in time for Valentine’s Day.

Stained Teeth

If you’re concerned about your stained teeth and want to turn your teeth into pearly whites for Valentine’s Day, talk to your dentist about stain removal with a professional dental cleaning and teeth whitening.

Also, avoid stain-causing foods, drinks, and habits, such as coffee, red wine, and smoking. If you’re a smoker, you can do your oral health and overall health a huge favour by quitting. Smoking not only stains teeth, but it also causes bad breath, gum disease, and oral cancer.

Cosmetic Dental Issues

If you’re looking for a flawless smile for Valentine’s Day, you can improve the appearance of your teeth with cosmetic dentistry.

Cosmetic dentistry treatments include:

  • Teeth whitening to remove stains and brighten your teeth up to 10 shades whiter with a special bleaching solution.
  • Cosmetic bonding to repair chips, cracks, and other minor irregularities with tooth-coloured bonding material.
  • Dental veneers to cover imperfections, such as tooth shape, colour, alignment, or to restore chipped teeth.

Bad Breath

No matter how deep in love you are, having bad breath can ruin a romantic moment. So to ensure your breath smells fresh on Valentine’s Day, prevent the buildup of bacteria that are responsible for bad odours.

A professional dental cleaning will help eliminate bad odours by cleaning away plaque buildup on your teeth and below your gum line.

Regular brushing and flossing will help to continue removing this bacteria, as will brushing your tongue twice a day and rinsing with an antimicrobial mouthwash, preferably with zinc chloride.

If you want to freshen your breath quickly after eating a Valentine’s Day meal, chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva that will wash away bacteria and make your mouth extra kissable.

Cavities

Cavity-causing bacteria are actually contagious. So if you plan to share a kiss or a dessert fork with your love on Valentine’s Day, make sure you aren’t sharing your cavity germs as well.

Cavities can be prevented with daily flossing and brushing your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes. And regular checkups with your dentist can detect and treat cavities to get rid of this bacteria.

Gum Disease

Gum disease is a common oral health problem caused by plaque and tartar buildup. If left untreated, gum disease can spread to the jawbone and support structures, causing damage and potential tooth loss.

Common symptoms of gum disease include:

  • Swollen gums
  • Gums that hurt and bleed when brushing and flossing
  • Bad breath

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, a visit to your dentist can help treat and alleviate these symptoms with a professional dental cleaning.

TIPS FOR MAINTAINING ORAL HEALTH

While your dentist is your first stop for treating oral health conditions, you can maintain good oral health at home between visits to your dentist with the following tips:

Develop Proper Brushing Habits

Not brushing your teeth properly is almost as bad as not brushing at all. So follow these tips to ensure you brush properly:

  • Brush with a fluoride toothpaste to protect your teeth and fight bacteria that lead to tooth decay.
  • Take your time (at least two minutes) and brush in a gentle, circular motion on all sides of your teeth to remove plaque. Also, tilt the brush at a 45-degree angle against the gum line and sweep the brush away from the gum line.
  • Always brush in the morning and again before bed to remove the plaque and germs that accumulate throughout the day. Plaque left to harden on your teeth will turn into calculus buildup and cause gum disease.
  • Gently brush your tongue every time you brush your teeth to remove odour-causing plaque from your tongue as well.

Floss

Make sure to floss once a day before bed, as well. Flossing is just as important as brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from the hard to brush areas between your teeth and below the gum line while stimulating the gums and preventing inflammation.

Visit the Dentist for Checkups

Regular visits to your dentist will help keep your mouth and teeth healthy and in top shape not only for Valentine’s Day but year-round. So visit your dentist at least twice a year for checkups and professional dental cleanings.

Your dentist can keep an eye out for potential oral health issues and treat them before they worsen. And professional dental cleanings can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease.

Choose the Right Toothbrush and Replace it Regularly

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush that fits your mouth properly. Toothbrushes with small heads can easily reach the back teeth.

For extra cleaning power and ease of use, consider using an electric or battery-powered toothbrush to reduce plaque buildup and prevent gingivitis.

Replace your toothbrush or electric toothbrush head every three months or sooner if the bristles flay or look irregular.

Drink Lots of Water

Drinking plenty of water, especially after every meal, is good for both your oral and overall health. Drinking water helps rinse your teeth and mouth of food particles and sticky and acidic foods and beverages, which is especially useful between brushes.

Limit Sugary and Acidic Foods

When broken down by bacteria in your mouth, sugar turns into acid that eats away at your enamel and causes cavities.

Acidic foods and beverages, such as fruits, teas, and coffee, will also wear down the enamel. So try to limit the amount of sugary and acidic foods in your daily diet to help protect your enamel and your overall tooth health.

If you’re suffering from any oral health concerns that are causing discomfort, bad breath, or embarrassment, visit your dentist. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get your mouth ready for close encounters with your sweetheart. And with a proper oral health routine, you can keep your mouth extra kissable not only for Valentine’s Day but for every day of the year.