Hollywood is known the world over for its glamor, beauty and almost obligatory good looks. Straight, shiny, healthy teeth are an essential part of looking and staying gorgeous – but just how do the legendary denizens of Hollywood get them?
The honest answer, of course, is ‘at about a zillion dollars per tooth’. But good dental hygiene needn’t be the preserve of the rich and famous, so we’ve put together a few hints and tips to help anyone uncover their very own million-watt smile. Don’t worry, we’ve avoided the obvious – everyone knows you should brush, floss and rinse by now, after all!
1. Avoid dehydration. Dry mouth and dehydration – which can have separate causes, but are generally linked–harm your mouth’s ability to repair itself and can lead to a build-up of bacteria on the tongue, an increase of plaque and tartar, damage to the gums and halitosis. Make sure that you stay hydrated, and try looking into ways to combat snoring and sleep with your mouth closed.
2. Go ultrasonic. The newest electric toothbrushes emit ultrasonic sound waves while you clean your teeth – destroying bacteria, plaque and tartar in places the bristles can’t reach. They’re performing fantastically in studies, and you get to feel like you’re wielding some high-tech futuristic awesomeness in your mouth.
3. Enjoy some vinaigrette. Weirdly, it may be that French dressing is a sort of dental health super food. ‘Oil pulling’, a rather icky-sounding trick that involves using oil like you would mouthwash, can help keep teeth clean and shiny – and good old-fashioned vinegar has a slightly dissolving effect on nasty build-ups of calculus. Eating an apple is pretty damn good for them, too.
4. Don’t neglect your tongue. While researching this article I looked up some statistics on the range and quantity of bacteria that can grow on your tongue. I’m not going to repeat the numbers here, because they made me feel ill! Just take it from me – invest in a proper tongue scraper. Sadly, brushing your tongue with your toothbrush just won’t cut it.
5. Use the white stuff. I don’t even mean milk, though of course that’s good for your teeth too – a couple of times a week, mix together some salt and some baking powder with a tiny bit of water and use the resultant gritty paste as you would ordinary toothpaste. It’s too harsh for every day, but used sparingly it’s a fantastic way of reducing stains and caring for your gums.
6. Avoid fancy tools and whitening kits. Obviously whitening toothpaste is perfectly safe, but a lot of the commercial whitening kits and strips can actually damage your tooth enamel. And don’t be tempted by the dental tools, picks and scrapers that have started showing up in stores, either – just because they’re available to untrained members of the public doesn’t mean that it’s safe for us to use them, and you could damage your gums significantly.
No matter how many of these tips you follow, though, it’s a fact of life that when it comes to your dental health, nothing can replace frequent trips to a dentist West Hollywood. Make sure you go at least once a year – and preferably more often than that!