You might not realize it, but when you’re a teen it’s absolutely imperative to take good care of your teeth and put effort into maintaining good dental hygiene. Whether skipping brushing your teeth, neglecting to floss, or not wanting to consider braces – choices that you make regarding your teeth as a teenager with certainly affect you later in life, both in the appearance of your smile and in problems you encounter down the line.
Don’t Forget to Brush
This might seem like a simple and obvious step but when life gets busy as a teenager, sometimes it’s easy to just go to bed without brushing our teeth, telling ourselves that we’ll do it in the morning. This is not a good idea! There’s a reason that your doctors and dentists tell you to brush once in the morning and once before bed: bacteria digest the food particles that are on your teeth and under your gums and the by-product of this bacteria is acid, which damages the enamel of your teeth and can potentially cause cavities. Make sure you brush your teeth twice daily and for two minutes each time. There are apps where you can set a timer on your phone to ensure you’re brushing for the correct amount of time, as well as electric toothbrushes that time the two minutes for you.
Flossing is Important
Whilst brushing is certainly important, we can’t forget flossing as an important part of your dental hygiene routine. Flossing is an essential step in removing plaque from your mouth as it gets between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. Plaque is a form of bacteria that can build up on your teeth and cause cavities and gum disease. For this reason, when we have plaque between our teeth and let it sit there, we are only increasing our chances of getting health conditions like these. Plaque will build up beneath your gum line too and can cause smelly breath, which certainly should be avoided at all costs!
Consider Braces
No one is really keen to get braces – we all know they are a bit of a chore, but your smile and the health of your teeth is something you will carry with you for life, so if you can make an investment whilst you’re young to ensure you’ll have a healthy smile throughout your adult life, it is certainly worthwhile.
Wearing braces can correct a whole host of potential dental issues and get set you on the right path to not spending surplus amounts of money on dental treatment in the future. Many dental issues left uncorrected by braces can cause you a lot of damage in the future – we aren’t just talking about wonky teeth here but overbites, underbites, incorrect jaw position, and crossbites. As you get older, these problems become harder (and more expensive) to fix, so getting braces really is worth your while.
If you’re worried about the aesthetic appearance of braces, you could consider getting some night time clear aligners or invisible braces. Clear aligners are a great option if you want all the benefits of braces but are worried about the appearance of metal on your teeth. Translucent aligners are practically invisible over your teeth. They are removable and easy to clean, and the fact that they are removable means that you can brush and floss just as you did before.
There really is no downside to clear braces so if you think they’d be a good option for you head on over to ALIGNERCO to check out all the potential options. ALIGNERCO has amazing price points for clear braces, aligners, night time aligners, and more. The site also offers a 100% money-back guarantee on your initial impression kit if they determine that you aren’t the correct candidate for clear braces – so there’s no risk involved in considering it as an option.
Don’t Skip Your Dentist Appointments
This might seem like an obvious suggestion, but you’d be surprised at how many people choose to skip their dentist appointments. No one likes going to the dentist and for some people, the experience can be downright daunting, but the more often you go and the better you take care of your teeth between appointments, the more enjoyable your dentist appointments will be. If you’re feeling nervous, simply communicate that to your dentist; they will be sure to do all they can to put you at ease.
Taking care of your teeth as a teen certainly isn’t something you should neglect. These are three great tips, but there are lots more ways to look after your teeth as a young person. Make sure that when you go to the dentist you ask questions about how to optimize the health of your teeth and how to avoid problems down the line. After all, everyone loves a healthy-looking smile!
