Dental Hygiene and Valentine’s Day

It’s February and you know what that means—Valentine’s Day. You’re looking forward to a romantic evening with your special someone.

Unfortunately, you’ve noticed (or your partner has noticed for you) that you’ve had awful breath recently. There’s nothing that can kill the mood of a romantic evening quite like leaning in for a kiss with bad breath.

Or perhaps your teeth are dingy and unattractive, and you lack the confidence to ask out that potential special person?

A Plus Dental is here with some answers to your Valentine’s Day questions!

Every Day And Before Your Valentine’s Day Date

Brush & floss your teeth. Brush your teeth at least twice a day. If you can, brush after each meal and floss your teeth at least once each day.

Flossing properly removes plaque and food particles from between the teeth that could otherwise cause bad breath.

Brush your tongue. Bad breath-causing bacteria and plaque grow and gather on the tongue. Brush your tongue from back to front to help reduce odours. It’s a good idea to use a tongue scraper as it will provide a better clean.

Or, alternatively, you may use the built-in tongue cleaner on the back of a toothbrush.

Take care of what you eat. Be careful during that Valentine’s Day meal – foods are often sources of bad breath. Strong cheeses, garlic, onions and hot peppers can be avoided or eaten in small amounts to help lessen bad breath.

For your romantic Valentine’s Day dinner, you may want to skip these foods altogether.

Avoid dry mouth. Saliva is nature’s mouth-cleaning tool. If you have dry mouth, food particles and bacteria are not being washed out of your mouth at the rate they should be. This can lead to bad breath (and worse).

The answers can be simple – drink lots of water, and maybe chew on gum to stimulate saliva production. When you eat, remember that coffee, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages can all contribute to dry mouth.

Lean in for that kiss! Did you know that kissing increases saliva production? So kissing is not just a way to show your affection, it is also good for your dental health!

Wear lipstick. Really – If you’re going out on a date for Valentine’s Day and wear makeup? Lipstick can make your teeth appear a more attractive whiter and brighter shade.

Valentine’s Day Chocolate and your Teeth

Ah yes, Valentine’s Day and chocolate! Hearts, cards, and chocolate are the three Valentine’s Day standbys. But chocolate isn’t that great for our teeth. It contains sugar, and as everyone knows, sugar is bad for teeth.

Certain bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar and turn it into acids that erode your teeth and create cavities.

However, some types of chocolate contain less sugar than others. Dark chocolate is better for your teeth ideally containing at least 70% cocoa, which means less sugar than other chocolates.

Even better, chocolate appears to have ingredients that can protect our teeth from decay. So if you’re going to eat chocolate, go for the dark chocolate.

After eating any candy, brush and floss your teeth if possible. If you can’t brush and floss, at least rinse your teeth with a good swishing of water.

The Heart of the Matter: Dental Health and Your Heart’s Health

Doctors have been talking about a potential link between heart disease and oral disease for nearly two decades, and with good reason.

Could better brushing and flossing give you a healthier heart? And can dentists look into your mouth and see if you’re at risk for heart disease?

The answer is, probably.

What’s the connection? It seems to be, inflammation, or swelling. Scientists know that it leads to hardened arteries, also called atherosclerosis.

That’s a condition that makes it hard for blood to flow to your heart. It puts you at greater risk for heart attack and stroke.

This means that one way to keep your heart healthy for the Valentine’s Days ahead may be to keep your oral health optimised.

Start Preparing for Next Year!

Valentine’s Day is upon us and only so much can be done now. But it’s never too early to consider what you’d like your smile, breath, and dental health to be like next Valentine’s Day.

At A Plus Dental, we would love to sit down with you and map out a dental health roadmap that will give you a brighter smile, better breath, and more confidence for next Valentine’s Day and many Valentine’s Days to come!

Here’s a short video “Tips for the Perfect Valentine’s Day Smile from your Campbelltown Dentist”:

Quality Dental Care in Campbelltown

At A Plus Dental, we believe in individuality, honesty, compassion, and care. We give our Campbelltown area patients, of all ages, caring, relaxing treatments in a pleasant and comfortable environment.

When you choose A Plus Dental, you take the next step towards a beautiful, healthy smile with teeth that feel great in your mouth!

We have over 30 years of combined experience and treat each of our patients with the utmost care and respect.

Call your Campbelltown dentist on (02) 4627 3833 or visit us at Suite 3/300 Queen Street in Campbelltown.