We Need More Than Just a Pretty Smile!

So Much More Than Just a Pretty Smile 🌟 

Warm greetings and a sparkling smile to all my readers! This week I am going to address the importance of oral health. Oral health and hygiene are something most of us don’t think about. We just brush out teeth daily and may only be concerned in keeping our teeth white for that stunning smile😁

 If you have been following my LinkedIn health posts, you may have already learned the importance of maintaining a stunning and healthy smile. Case in point: former NFL wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Williams, died this fall from bacterial sepsis developing from tooth decay. New research published this year in The American Society for Microbiology Journals, shows the direct link to poor oral hygiene and permanent lung damage. In addition to COPD, the causal effect of poor oral health has been established with heart disease and diabetes. Poor oral health leads to inflammation, and inflammation wreaks havoc on our bodies.

 The good news is that we can do simple things at home to make sure we have that beautiful and healthy smile!

 😁 Brush – This is something most of us do at least twice daily. Here are a few extra recommendations for brushing:

            🪥 Personally I do not use fluoride toothpaste, nor have I had a fluoride treatment  since my twenties. The fluoride in our toothpastes is generally synthetic. The purpose of adding fluoride is to remineralize your tooth enamel.  I brush with an all natural remineralizing toothpaste that also whitens and brightens your smile. Of course, there are the appropriate essential oils included: Wild Orange, Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary.

            🪥 It has been recommended by my dentist to use an electric toothbrush, so I do! You do need to be careful not to place pressure on the toothbrush or use strong brush strokes. Just lightly apply to your tooth and let the toothbrush do its thing.

            🪥 Don’t forget to brush /scrape your tongue!

 😁 Floss – Flossing is essential for dental health. It never fails that small particles of food become embedded in between our teeth and possibly inside the gum line. We should be flossing at least once per day. Many of my teeth are close together. That makes flossing with actual floss difficult, the floss tends to break off between my teeth. So I use a water flossing unit most times. There are many on the market, and after not liking and therefore using a particular brand, I found that for me I love the Interplak by Conair. It is easy to handle and therefore not messy, and I use it!

 😁 Rinsing – Rinsing with mouthwash is a great way to freshen your mouth and deter bacteria growth and buildup. My mouthwash is loaded with Clove essential oil which is a powerful phenol. Clove as with all phenols, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-viral. Make sure your mouthwash does not contain alcohol. I use my mouthwash in my Interplak at night when I floss for an added bonus when I floss.

 😁 Oil Pulling – Most people are not familiar with oil pulling. It is simple and has been shown to reverse the early stages of cavity formation. Take 1-2 teaspoons of fractionated coconut oil, you may add a drop of clove essential oil, and swish and rinse in your mouth for 5-10 minutes. Spit into a paper cup and dispose of the cup. Do not spit down your sink! If you do, the coconut oil will solidify in the cooler temperature and create plumbing problems in the future.

 So there you have it! Simple home health care you can do to improve your oral hygiene. And don’t forget to schedule your six month check up with your dentist. This is imperative to identify any emerging dental issues and  get the deep cleaning in those hard to reach areas of your mouth.

 Let’s all have stunning, sexy, healthy, teeth and gums so your smile is one people will remember, and spread the word about the importance of oral hygiene!

 Bonus Tip: Clove is a powerful essesntial oil. It is from the compound family phenol. Phenols are protective and Clove is 73-80% phenol. This makes clove a strong anti-oxidant, and protective. It is highly effective in maintaining good oral health.