How to Care for your Smile

Don't rush your brush
If you're spending less than three minutes brushing, you're probably missing a few trouble spots. Brush thoroughly two to three minutes at least once every 24 hours. Use a gentle massaging action and a soft brush.

Clean between
If you don't floss, a third of your tooth isn't getting cleaned. Floss wipes decay-causing agents out of the space between teeth and gums.

Eat, drink, but be wary
Try to avoid sticky sweets as they can damage your tooth surfaces. Sweet snacks, even soft drinks, will put your teeth at risk for at least twenty minutes after you've eaten.

Opt for more nutritious alternatives like fresh fruit and eat a well-balanced diet. Like the rest of your body, teeth and gums need vitamins and minerals.

If you do eat sweets, do it during mealtime when your saliva can best flush away sugar from teeth.

Check your gums
Look in the mirror for early signs of gum disease. Gums should be coral pink in color, firm, resilient, have a stippled texture and fit tightly around the teeth. Redness, puffiness, bad breath, bleeding and shifting or loosening means your gums are in need of attention.

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The average woman smiles 65 times a day J 50% of the population regards the smile as the most important facial feature J North Americans spend over 1.8 billion on toothpaste every year! J It takes just 26 muscles to smile, 62 to frown. J Smiling not only changes a facial expression, but can also make the brain produce endorphins , which reduce physical and emotional pain, and give a greater sense of well-being. J Smiles have been classified by scientists: the "Pan American smile is a voluntary smile involving only the zygomaticus major muscle to show politeness ; the Duchenne smile, on the other hand is involuntary, but is sincere. J According to a US scientist, the smile on the face of the Mona Lisa is so enigmatic that it disappears when it is looked at directly!

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