Dental dos and don'ts

We know you beauties are incredibly vigilant when it comes to your skin care regimes, treating your hair properly, and making sure your make-up is done to perfection.
But how diligent are you when it comes to looking after your teeth and gums? Are you absolutely sure you’re doing everything right to keep your teeth as white as possible and in tip-top condition?
Take a look at our dental dos and don’ts and see how well you’re looking after your teeth and gums…
DO
- Brush and floss your teeth twice a day, especially before going to bed!
- Buy a new toothbrush every three months.
- Use a gentle toothpaste. Some abrasive toothpastes can remove your tooth enamel.
- Massage your gums once a day with your finger to increase blood flow and protect your gums against infections.
- Go for a dental check-up every six months.
DON’T
- Brush your teeth too aggressively. Gentle brushing at a 45-degree angle will do the trick.
- Suck on lemons. The acid from a lemon can eat through your tooth enamel.
- Use your teeth to open a bottle or wrapper.
- Use somebody else’s toothbrush – toothbrushes are full of bacteria, so you’re opening yourself up to the possibility of gum disease.
- Chew on ice cubes. Chewing on ice can cause teeth to crack.
And just to make sure you’re giving your teeth and gums the care they deserve, get your hands on the dental essentials:
Reach® Total Care Toothbrush – for all your brushing needs!
Colgate Max Fresh Night Toothpaste – say bye-bye to morning breath with this compound-neutralising toothpaste.
Sensodyne Gentle Tape – get rid of any food caught in-between your teeth.
Listerine® Zero – this alcohol-free formula kills germs, fights plaque, and prevents cavities.
Uh-oh, bleeding gums? Find out how to treat them, stat!...
Finding a toothpaste can be confusing, so we help point you in the right direction…
Are you looking after your teeth and gums properly?
102 Member Comments
i should start flossing regularly, i only do it occasionally
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why do dentist charge so much. i am looking to go overseas for treatment
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After reading this article, there is plenty more that I could be doing and some don'ts that I need to stop doing :/
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i go to the dentist once a year, but i certainly dont do as much as I should to look after my teeth
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This was actually so helpful. I will never open another packet with my teeth, EVER!
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Great tips for dental care. Regular trips to the dentist is also a MUST.
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thanks for the tips
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I always brush my teeth twice a day but I'm not to good when it comes to flossing.....but I do use a mouth rinse.
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I have a chip in my tooth from years ago when I tried to chew the plastic connecting a pair of new shoes-always a reminder for me not to use them as tools.
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i agree with do's and dont's because i have sentive teeth due to chewing ice cubes and overbrushing my teeth
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I use White Glo. Best. Toothpaste. Ever.
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the holidays are the worst for my dental routine, I always sleep in and get slack brushing my teeth in the morning... eek!
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I'm guilty of brushing my teeth too vigorous. My family has a genetic gum disease and I am actually very worried about them so thanks for this dental care article.
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I hate to admit this but I've never flossed. I always brush my teeth though. I used to crunch ice all the time when I was younger and until the Dentist telling me last year that you shouldn't brush your teeth very hard, I was brushing them quite hard. I thought the harder you brushed the cleaner they'd be!!! Oh well...I know better now.
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helpful tips :)
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Oral hygiene is vital to the over all well being, a lot of other medical conditions are linked to poor oral hygiene like even cardiovascular diseases. It's extremely important to floss at night, even if you're somewhere and you can't brush your teeth you have to try to floss! A friend of mine told me once that if you're stuck you can always get one of your hairs and floss with that, it does the job and you won't miss one little hair. Gross but makes sense!! I always carry floss with me anyway...
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Thanks for the tips!!! I didn't know about the ice cubes and lemons... Need to make some changes !
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I've never tried massaging my gums with my fingers but my dentist said to use my toothbrush to do this each time I brush. Obviously the tooth brush is soft. He said it will bleed the first few times but soon that wills top. I know I need to floss more often.
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Gee I really need to brush up on my dental regime,pardon the pun.
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Its funny the dos rules are so easy to follow but why is it hard to do it everyday. I brush twice a day everyday but floss not very often even though I should. Floss seems to hard of work as it gets stuck in between my teeth so I try to avoid it,
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I do take good care of my teeth and i see the dentist on a regular basis...And it mostly started when i was hit in the face and ended up with a chipped front tooth...And ever since then i have gone to great lengths to keep my teeth in good shape....And i have to make sure that i save for the dentist as thats the sad part really is the cost...As alot more people would go to the dentist if the prices were more availabe to more people...As they are by no means cheap to go to
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Great tips, brushing/flossing your teeth regularly is super important
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hahaha kind of some obvious ones in there but still helpful all the same.. thanks
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Never heard of gum massaging, but I'm pretty good with following the other rules :)
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