Your teeth are bones that help you bite and chew your food, breaking it down into digestible chunks. Aside from their functionality, they also have a role to play in terms of your appearance. Everyone wants clean, healthy pearly whites. Here are eight things you can to do keep your teeth in good condition:

Reevaluate your diet
Red wine, coffee, cola, and plenty of other things can take a toll on the appearance of your teeth. Cigarettes and cigars will as well. You don’t necessarily have to cut them out completely, but you may want to significantly reduce your intake. After eating or drinking teeth-staining foods, brush your teeth if possible. If you can’t brush your teeth at the moment, at least swish some water around your mouth. Some people also opt to have teeth whitening treatments done at the dentist or with whitening kits that you can buy from a pharmacy.

Learn how to brush properly
You should be positioning your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against your gums and brushing gently in a circular pattern rather than just back and forth. You don’t have to brush aggressively to get a good clean – brush smart, don’t just brush hard. It’s also important for you to change your toothbrush frequently. A toothbrush shouldn’t be used for any longer than three months. Otherwise, bacteria is just going back into your mouth.

Brush your tongue too
A tongue scraper won’t cost you too much. Get one and make sure you use it. These dental tools remove plaque, bacteria, and other residues that may be accumulating on your tongue. This will freshen up your breath and make your mouth feel cleaner in general. A toothbrush will help to clean your tongue, but it’s nowhere as effective as a tongue scraper.

Include more teeth-whitening foods in your diet
Apples, carrots, celery, and other crisp foods are great for cleaning and whitening your teeth as you eat them. Try eating such foods at the end of your meal to give your teeth a little cleaning, especially if you won’t be able to brush your teeth right afterwards. They aren’t only good for your teeth – they’re great for your health, too!

Try brushing with baking soda
Baking soda is a cheap way to remove stains from your teeth. Simply put a small amount on your toothbrush and wash regularly. You can also try brushing with salt – just don’t brush too hard or you’ll end up exfoliating your gums a little too much. Make sure you spit it out after brushing as well – too much sodium won’t do you any good.

Check your breath
Halitosis, or bad breath, is usually the result of poor dental hygiene. It’s usually associated with a buildup of bacteria in your mouth. Check your breath from time to time. If you find that you’ve frequently got a foul-smelling breath, invest in alcohol-free mouthwash and use it. This will help kill some bacteria and freshen up your mouth. Why alcohol-free? Mouthwash with alcohol will often dry out your mouth and result in more bacteria buildup.

Brush first thing in the morning and last thing at night
These are the times when you haven’t got as much saliva in your mouth and are, therefore, more prone to plaque buildup. You need to brush well before you sleep to get all the bacteria out of your mouth. Brushing in the morning will remove the plaque and bacteria that built up during the night and will freshen up that morning breath.

Choose the right lipstick
This one is for those of you who wear lipstick. Coral and bright red colors will contrast and make your teeth appear whiter. Lighter colors will bring out the yellow. Want to flash a white smile? Just wear red!

Icon Dental Center is a dental office in Seattle, if you’re looking for a new local dentist in Seattle, come to visit us today!