I had braces for seven years of my life — a clumsy mix of palate expanders, headgear, and invasive lip-bumpers that bulked my skinny face at a time when I was already awkward enough without them. I was one of those middle-schoolers whose parents forced orthodontics on them when they were too young to realize what a great investment it was in their future. Instead, I adopted a coping mechanism of smiling with my mouth closed, a practice subsumed by a general feeling that I would forever be ashamed of my smile. What I didn’t realize then was that my teeth were about to look amazing. Like really amazing.
By ninth grade, the timely convergence of puberty and my braces removal made me feel like Pippi Longstocking blossoming into Jessica Chastain. Diligent toothbrushing through the awkward years paid off! Everywhere I went, people told me I had beautiful teeth: strangers, teachers, friends, parents of friends. People I didn’t know asked me everything from what toothpaste I used to whether or not I had my teeth professionally filed (the answer: never). A TSA agent once told me, as she scanned my luggage, “You have a perfect smile”.
When people compliment a feature of yours repeatedly, vanity leads you to maintain it, and over time I realized that a lot of what we think is good for our mouths are myths propagated by popular culture — or by companies trying to sell us something, like whitening strips, punishingly strong mouthwash, or air-flossers that imply through their advertising that they are sufficient to give us the Perfect White Smile we’ve always wanted. Don’t believe the hype, y’all. I’ve spoken with several dentists about proper oral hygiene and technique (I’m a nerd like that) and the reality is much more humble. Our mouths are pretty complicated, and there isn’t one miracle product that solves all the problems (and this make sense, because that’s also true for hair, diet, and skin). The good news is it’s easy to maintain a fresh breath, white teeth, and other forms of smile-related world domination — but you have to know the rules.
Here are the best “healthy smile” tips I’ve picked up over the years. I haven’t had a cavity yet.
1.) You Shouldn’t Brush Your Teeth in The Shower
A lot of people talk about brushing their teeth in the shower in order to “kill two birds with one stone”, but leaving your toothbrush in the shower allows unhealthy bacteria (read: mold!) to grow on the toothbrush as it festers in a damp, muggy environment. When you brush with that toothbrush the next day, you introduce all that buildup into your mouth (gross). Brushing your teeth in the shower can also be counterproductive because the fluoride in toothpaste needs to sit on your teeth for ~30 minutes after you brush (this is why you’re not supposed to rinse after you brush). When you are in the shower, you’re more likely to leave your mouth ajar and rinse all the lingering, beneficial fluoride off your teeth.
2.) You Shouldn’t Use Mouthwash Unless You Have To
Most people have heard a common criticism of hand sanitizer: using it too often makes you more vulnerable to sickness because it kills off even the beneficial germs that fight viruses like the cold and flu. The same is true for the bacteria in your mouth: mouthwash is so antiseptic that most dentists recommend you only use it if you are impaired or have an injury that prevents you from brushing. Otherwise, you risk killing off even the beneficial flora (yes, our mouths are disgusting wastelands of bacteria, but a lot of them are good guys) that help fight plaque and odor-causing bacteria.
3.) Even People Without Sensitive Teeth Should Use a Sensitive-Bristle Toothbrush
It’s easier to erode the enamel on your teeth than you think, which ultimately leads to the dullness and LACK of luminescence that is the OPPOSITE of a bright white smile. Since most of us brush really aggressively (we push really hard on the toothbrush and walk around our apartment while brushing without thinking about it, and we also brush for way too long,) then having a sensitive (read: soft) bristle toothbrush makes it harder for us to erode enamel even during aggressive, mindless brushing.
4.) Floss More, Brush Less
A dentist in Virginia once told me about this experiment: go 4–5 days without flossing, then floss. After you floss, ball the string up in your hand and smell it. You will never go without flossing again.
The moral of the story is this: the worst bacteria that causes bad breath and cavities lingers near our gum line and flossing is the only way to get them out. Luckily, its actually a lot easier to knock plaque off our teeth than we think, so flossing followed by a light brush is sufficient to keep your mouth squeaky clean. In fact, some dentists suggest that if you had a choice between flossing or brushing you’d be better off just flossing. It’s that important. As my best friend’s father — a dentist — once told me: “floss more, brush less”.