Perfect Teeth = Healthy Teeth [6 Steps to Perfect Teeth]

When you think of perfect teeth, you may think of Tom Cruise’s pearly whites that cost millions of dollars to look exactly how a team of experts thought they should look.

However, perfect teeth should always mean healthy teeth.

Much like social status, the “perfect smile” is a hard-to-reach ideal that is set by Hollywood, magazines, and even oral health product manufacturers.

How much does it cost to have perfect teeth? Every year, Americans spend millions of dollars on unnecessary cosmetic procedures. When you think “perfect teeth”, you should think “dental health”.

Taking care of your natural teeth is easier — and more affordable — than ever.

What are “perfect teeth”, really?

“Perfect teeth” are strong, straight, and free of disease or symptoms of disease — like pain and sensitivity.

Perfect teeth are not necessarily bleached white. There is nothing wrong with having whiter teeth, in theory. But over-whitening your teeth may lead to tooth sensitivity.

While “beautiful” teeth may look great, “perfect” teeth should function properly. Perfect teeth should be able to chew without pain and exhibit no symptoms of oral disease.

What are considered perfect teeth? Many people consider perfect teeth to be white and straight. While it is important to have straight teeth, white teeth are not necessarily indicative of healthy teeth.

How can I get perfect teeth? You can get perfect teeth by ensuring your teeth are straight, healthy, strong, and free of disease.

Step #1: Straighten Your Teeth

First thing’s first. You have to straighten your teeth.

Unsightly metal braces were once the only option to straighten teeth, but orthodontics has come a long way in the last few decades.

Straightening your teeth offers health benefits beyond the mouth.

When you have crooked, crowded, or misaligned teeth, you may suffer from:

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
Chronic headaches
Excess wear on teeth and gums
Poor digestion
Speech impediment
Self-esteem issues

Straightening your teeth not only avoids the conditions listed above, it brings you one step closer to that picture-perfect smile.

There are commercial products that offer teeth straightening. For example, Invisalign aligners are removable plastic devices that gradually straighten teeth that are very difficult to see when you smile.

Professional dental services, such as braces or retainers, may be required to help straighten your teeth. You may also want to correct an overbite or underbite with similar dental services.

Once your teeth are correctly aligned, you’re one step closer to a perfect smile.

Step #2: Perfect Your Brushing & Flossing Technique

If your brushing technique is excellent, then you may be able to avoid cavities, gingivitis, stains, and discoloration.

5 tips on the perfect brushing technique:

Aim the toothbrush head at a 45 degree angle towards your gumline, in front of and behind your teeth.
Brush in gentle circles.
Only use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. That’s all you need!
Don’t brush too hard, and use soft bristle toothbrushes. Hard bristles and brushing may cause gum damage.
When finished brushing, allow your brush to air dry in a “head-up” position.

Fluoride toothpaste (and more recently, hydroxyapatite toothpaste) helps keep your teeth strong and prevents tooth decay (AKA cavities). However, many parents worry about fluoride toxicity and are turning to fluoride-free toothpaste alternatives.

Triple Bristle’s patented three-sided brush technology cleans your teeth in less than half the time. Our three-sided toothbrush is dentist-created and dentist-approved. It has two brush heads cut at the 45-degree angle that means you don’t need special wrist twists!

Don’t forget flossing! Floss before you brush every morning. Unwaxed dental floss should be a part of your daily oral hygiene routine just like brushing. Flossing and brushing combine to help bring you that perfect smile.

Step #3: Don’t Skip Teeth Cleanings

Every 6 months, every person should visit their dental office. These general dentist visits contribute to a beautiful smile and prevent poor oral health.

At these dental visits, a dental hygienist gets rid of plaque and tartar buildup that you may have missed.

But these twice-yearly check-ups also allow your dentist to spot early signs of cavities, gum disease, or even crooked teeth for children. That way, an orthodontist can fix the problem before it becomes permanent.

Don’t skip teeth cleanings. They are the number one method of preventing poor dental health, which can mess with your perfect smile.

If someone in your family is nervous about visiting a dental practice, try the Brush and Bite Starter Kit. It was designed by a dentist to help special needs individuals who struggle with anxiety about visiting their local dentist.

Step #4: Protect Your Oral Microbiome

The oral microbiome is the balance of beneficial bacteria to harmful bacteria, living in your oral cavity. Protecting your oral microbiome is essential to your oral health.

Everyone’s oral microbiome is also composed of fungi, protozoa, and viruses.

An imbalanced oral microbiome may lead to:

Tooth decay
Gum disease (also called “periodontitis”)
Recurrent aphthous ulceration
Gastrointestinal disease
Nervous system disease

To maintain a healthy, balanced oral microbiome, you need to keep to your daily routine of brushing and flossing. You may even use oral probiotics to boost your oral microbiome health.

But there are a few things you can avoid, which would otherwise threaten your oral microbiome.

What can destroy your oral microbiome, leading to poor oral health?

Antibacterial mouthwash
Antibacterial toothpaste
Poor diet (high in sugars, starches)
Poor oral hygiene

Step #5: Whiten Your Teeth

When people think of “perfect teeth”, the visual aspect is often the number one aspect they think of. There’s no shame in it — whiten your teeth if it gives you confidence!

Teeth whitening is unnecessary and is not an end goal for perfect teeth. But whitening your teeth can be one part of your perfect smile.

Avoid these 12 foods that may stain your teeth:

Red wine
Coffee
Tea
Soda
Fruit juice
Berries
Chocolate
Curry
Soy sauce
Tomato-based sauce
Balsamic vinegar
Beetroot

Over-whitening your teeth may damage your tooth enamel and lead to tooth sensitivity. It might seem harmless, but these bleaching agents can negatively impact your oral health.

Possible side effects of teeth whitening products include:

Weakened tooth structure
Degraded tooth enamel and dentin
Sensitive dental pulp
Imbalanced oral bacteria
Compromised gut bacteria, if swallowed
Cervical resorption
Mercury exposure, if you have a dental amalgam filling

Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Whitening

Extrinsic whitening is cleaning stains and discoloration off the surface of the tooth. Extrinsic stains are only on the surface, and less permanent than intrinsic stains. Whitening toothpastes are a form of extrinsic whitening.
Intrinsic whitening is getting rid of stains and discoloration inside the tooth, usually in the dentin layer under the tooth enamel surface. Whitestrips, whitening trays, and professional whitening treatments all use carbamide or hydrogen peroxide to intrinsically whiten teeth.

Step #6: Consider Cosmetic Dentistry

If you are not happy with the appearance of your teeth, you may want to talk to your dentist about cosmetic dental services, such as:

Crowns
Dental implants
Veneers
Bonding
Dentures
Professional teeth whitening

Costs vary, but most dental insurance plans often cover half of the cost of medically-necessary orthodontic treatments, like crowns, bonding, and dentures.

But most dental insurance does not cover cosmetic crowns, dental implants, veneers, or cosmetic bonding.

Consider cosmetic dentistry as a last resort when healthy diet, proper oral hygiene, and balanced oral microbiome aren’t quite enough to get you the perfect smile you’re looking for.

Perfect Teeth Are Healthy Teeth

When you are trying to get a beautiful smile, people usually think of white teeth. However, we should instead think of straight, strong, clean teeth that are free of any symptoms of cavities or gingivitis.

Perfect teeth = healthy teeth. When you visit your dentist every six months and maintain an excellent at-home oral hygiene routine, you don’t need a smile makeover.

If you practice consistent dental care, perfect teeth should naturally follow.

Sources

Saikaly, S. K., Saikaly, T. S., & Saikaly, L. E. (2018). Recurrent aphthous ulceration: a review of potential causes and novel treatments. Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 29(6), 542-552. Abstract: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29278022/
Lira-Junior, R., & Boström, E. A. (2018). Oral-gut connection: one step closer to an integrated view of the gastrointestinal tract?. Mucosal immunology, 11(2), 316-318. Full text: https://www.nature.com/articles/mi2017116
Gao, L., Xu, T., Huang, G., Jiang, S., Gu, Y., & Chen, F. (2018). Oral microbiomes: more and more importance in oral cavity and whole body. Protein & cell, 9(5), 488-500. Full text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5960472/
Bescos, R., Ashworth, A., Cutler, C., Brookes, Z. L., Belfield, L., Rodiles, A., … & White, D. (2020). Effects of Chlorhexidine mouthwash on the oral microbiome. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-8. Full text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7093448/
Shang, Q., Gao, Y., Qin, T., Wang, S., Shi, Y., & Chen, T. (2020). Interaction of oral and toothbrush microbiota affects oral cavity health. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 10. Full text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7011102/
Goldberg, M., Grootveld, M., & Lynch, E. (2010). Undesirable and adverse effects of tooth-whitening products: a review. Clinical oral investigations, 14(1), 1-10. Abstract: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19543926/
Kandalgaonkar, S. D., Gharat, L. A., Tupsakhare, S. D., & Gabhane, M. H. (2013). Invasive cervical resorption: a review. Journal of international oral health: JIOH, 5(6), 124. Full text: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3895730/

Perfect Teeth = Healthy Teeth [6 Steps to Perfect Teeth]