3 Ways You Can Clean Teeth Between Meals
Life can get busy…when you are away from home at work, school, family events, and having a social life, sometimes a healthy mouth and clean teeth are the last things on our minds.
We at Island Family Dental know how valuable your time is, so we decided to compile this list of easy and quick tips to help you keep your teeth clean when on the go and between meals.
Tip #1: First of All, Eat Healthy Snacks
While small, frequent meals may be beneficial for your waistline, constantly having food remainders in your mouth can lead to tooth decay.
What to do? Don’t constantly graze–instead, keep your snacks between 1.5 and 2 hours apart, and opt for mouth-friendly choices such as carrot sticks, broccoli, apples, nuts or seeds. They offer great fiber and a natural abrasive texture on your teeth, scrubbing away bacteria and plaque that accumulates throughout the day.
Tip #2: Get Yourself a Travel-Size Toothbrush and Floss
Obviously, the best way to keep your teeth clean is to brush and floss between meals. Understandably, it may not always be convenient to find a bathroom to brush your teeth in after each time you eat on the go, but you can do this without toothpaste too! You can easily pull out your toothbrush while sitting at your desk or waiting in the car…you don’t even need to spit!
A lot of our patients also use floss picks. Because they have an easy-to-use handle, you can use them one handed and without a mirror. This makes flossing in between meals much easier and more convenient.
Tip #3: Chew Sugar-Free Gum and Drink Plenty of Water
Chewing sugarless gum after a meal is such an easy way to protect your teeth from cavities, that we believe you should carry it with you all the time.
The act of chewing increases saliva flow in your mouth, which washes away food particles and neutralizes acids. Saliva also promotes remineralization which helps teeth to recover from damage incurred while eating. Just chew a piece of sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after a snack or meal to reap the benefits!
Make Your Oral Health a Priority!
We know life gets busy. We hope these tips will make it easier to protect your teeth and oral health! Take care of your teeth all day long, not just morning and night, and you will be on your way to maintaining a happy, healthy smile for a lifetime.