10 Steps to a More Kissable Mouth

By: Chernara Baker

Your evening has been great. First, a romantic movie. Now, deconstructing it at a quiet wine bar. As you smile across the table, you think that a kiss is in the very near future. This lovely thought is suddenly and alarmingly replaced by, “Do I have bad breath? Is there anything between my teeth?” The following 10 tips provide some surprises and new twists on an old topic. The first, and perhaps most basic, way to keep your mouth healthy is to brush at least twice a day, in the morning and at night. And don’t just focus on your teeth; you should spend 2 to 3 minutes each session brushing all surfaces of the teeth, your tongue and your palate. Use a soft-headed toothbrush, and don’t keep it around indefinitely. Replace your brush every three to four months, sooner if the bristles are splayed or loose. To keep your mouth thoroughly kissable, you’ll need to do more than just brush. Floss at least once a day. It’s good for removing plaque and food particles between teeth and between teeth and gums. Use a long piece of floss: 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 centimeters). If you’re cozying up for a kiss, you’ll want to avoid bad breath. Easier said than done? Not if you understand what causes it. The sweetness of your breath is affected by your diet, your brushing and flossing routine, tobacco use and your health status. Certain medical conditions can also cause bad breath. Saliva helps wash food and bacteria away, but dry mouth (a result of aging, medication, mouth breathing or salivary problems) prevents the removal of odor-causing particles. Halitosis can also be an indicator of health problems, such as postnasal drip, bronchitis, sinusitis, diabetes, as well as liver, kidney or gastrointestinal abnormalities. What’s worse for a kiss (and your health) than a mouthful of decaying teeth? Every time you eat, you’re providing fuel to the bacteria that attack your tooth enamel. Try to minimize the foods that are primary contributors — added, refined and natural sugars. . See your dentist regularly; every six months is the usual recommendation. Each regular office visit may encompass several procedures, including teeth cleaning, instruction in oral hygiene, an examination by the dentist and any preventative or restorative work that needs to be done. The cleaning itself is enough to keep you visiting your dentist regularly, though. Special instruments remove tartar or calculus, built-up plaque that can lead to decay. Then teeth are then polished, which makes them both shiny — contributing to kissability — and slippery, which hinders the adherence of plaque. Smoking or chewing tobacco products can ruin the kissability of your mouth, leading to stained teeth, bad breath and receding gums. Keeping your teeth healthy is great, but, to enhance kissability, teeth should be as white as possible. There are several ways to reduce stains. Going to the dentist twice a year can help enormously; you can go more often for a cosmetic cleaning to prevent stains from settling in. For more severe stains, teeth may be bleached. This is best done professionally, although your dentist may be able to recommend an appropriate in-home product. Toothpaste designed to remove stains is often abrasive and can harm tooth enamel; again, confer with your dentist. Some individuals experience tooth or gum sensitivity during office or home whitening treatments and may have to reduce the number of whitening sessions. Use fluoride to reduce cavities. Fluoride is often found in municipal drinking water. If you don’t drink fluoridated water because you have a well or use bottled water, you may want to speak to your dentist about supplements. Fluoride becomes part of a tooth’s surface, protecting the enamel from the decaying acid released by plaque. In the presence of fluoride, decay may even be quashed, essentially healing the tooth. Who wants to kiss a mouth full of bloody gums? Gingivitis, the first stage of gum disease, is characterized by swollen and bleeding gums. It is uncomfortable and can be the first step toward tooth loss. Regular brushing, flossing and professional cleaning can prevent gingivitis. However, it should not cause panic; the American Dental Association believes that 75 percent of adults are affected. Now that you’ve done everything else on the list to make your mouth truly kissable, there’s one last, quick refresher. In addition to brushing and flossing, your dentist may recommend an American Dental Association-approved therapeutic mouth rinse. Such rinses have been judged to be safe for consumers and effective for specific uses, such as controlling gingivitis, delivering fluoride and controlling bad breath. Cosmetic mouth rinses are also available. They may mask breath odor but do not address the source of the problem, nor do they affect the teeth or gums.