I’ve always wanted to have beautiful, pearly whites. But we don’t always get what we want. Ouch! 

The thing is, while your teeth can improve (or ruin!) your appearance, they can—more importantly—help you chew and chomp your food.

When it comes to caring for your teeth, I’m pretty sure you’ve heard it all before from your mom: brush, floss, and don’t eat too many sweets. And sure, these reminders are still awfully important. But there are other, not-so-common ways to help keep your teeth healthier and whiter. Here are unusual tips for great teeth: 

1. Go easy on food or drinks that can stain your teeth.

Alright, this is probably the most difficult thing to do on this list so let’s get it over with.

Here’s the thing to remember. If something’s dark before it enters your mouth, it will likely stain your teeth. If you drink a lot of black tea, red wine, cola, dark juice, or smoke cigarettes or cigars, expect to have not-so-white teeth.

I’m not saying don’t eat or drink this stuff. There are things you can do to mitigate the staining effect.

• Brush your teeth right after eating food that can stain your teeth.
• Drink water or gargle after drinking coffee or cola. Swishing with water upon consuming teeth-staining drinks can reduce the likelihood that they’ll stain your teeth.
• For some natural teeth-cleaning action, munch an apple. Apple’s acidity eliminates bad bacteria and helps get rid of bad breath. Make sure you eat the skin of the apple to benefit from the fiber that can keep your gums and teeth

Now, about smoking. Fact is, cigarettes and cigars stain teeth and put you at risk of oral cancer and other gum problems. Consider quitting. And discourage your kids from starting at all.

2.    Eat moderate amounts of cheese

I love cheese, to be honest. So this is a treat for me! 

My biased opinion aside, cheese is, indeed, great for the teeth! It actually assists in neutralizing the acid in your mouth, which reduces bacteria and supports stronger teeth. Of course, this isn’t a green light for you to eat all the cheese you want. Consume about a third of a slice as that’s the amount you need to get these mouth-friendly benefits.

2.  Do NOT utilize your teeth as utensils!

A lot of people I know use their teeth for more than they’re designed for. (Yes, I’m looking at you who open a bag of chips using your teeth.) I’ve even seen someone using their teeth to open a bottle of beer!

Listen, using your teeth as a utensil can be potentially harmful to you physically—and financially! Think of how many people have ended with chipped or cracked teeth because they used their teeth for something other than they’re meant to; there’ve been plenty! And can you imagine how much it would cost to get it fixed? 

So remember, your teeth are for chewing food–not for anything else.

4. Replace your toothbrush head every three months

Why three months? The bristles of your toothbrush get too sharp to use safely after three months or six of use. Worn out bristles can erode enamel and cause gum recession. So make sure to record or schedule a regular toothbrush replacement! The same goes if you’re using an electric toothbrush, by the way. 

5. Use baking soda 

Once a week, brush your teeth with baking soda, as you would toothpaste. This will remove stains and whiten your teeth. Baking soda also attacks the development of plaque, effectively preventing cavity formation, dental decay, and the occurrence of gum disease. It likewise balanced the acidic levels of any residual food in your mouth, thereby combating bad breath.

6. Clean up your tongue 

Eliminate tongue plaque by using a tongue scraper each morning. One of the most common causes of stinky breath is the bacteria buildup on the tongue. Getting into the habit of scraping your tongue each morning will help banish that. And no, using your toothbrush on your tongue won’t work.

7. Eat cleansing foods

I talked about apple earlier in this blog. There are other foods that help clean your teeth, specifically the firm or crisp ones. Others include celery, raw carrots, and—tadah!—popcorn. Best eat these cleansing foods last (i.e. after your meal) if, for some reason, you’re unable to brush your teeth after your meal.

8. Try oral probiotics

While probiotics are quite popular for maintaining good digestive and immune health, oral probiotics can naturally aid tooth and gum health, helps freshen your breath, and whiten your teeth. (Is this sounding like a toothpaste commercial yet?)

Probiotics effectively activate the production of healthy bacteria in your mouth. It also reduces bad breath­­­–causing bacteria and generates small doses of hydrogen peroxide that whitens your teeth without damaging it. 

Havasu offers Advanced Probiotic Gummies, a great-tasting, fruity way to get friendly bacteria to your system.

And while you’re at it, check out our Premium Multivitamin Gummies, which help fill the most common nutrient gaps in your diet, especially for Vitamins A, C, and E, to maintain the health of your skin, nails, teeth.

And here’s a little something extra—

If you’re about to go somewhere important (perhaps, do that all-important presentation or attend that critical meeting) and want to be at your best but just can’t brush your teeth after eating, you can check your breath for freshness. Simply lick your palm and do a little sniff while it’s still wet. You think it’s gross? Maybe. But wouldn’t it be more embarrassing to not know?

So obviously, if you smell something bad, it’s time to get a quick sugar-free mint in your mouth.

While it can be challenging to find the time to follow a proper dental care routine regularly, it’s something that we all need to do if we want to get (or maintain) healthy teeth.