Oral hygiene is an essential aspect of your overall health. Taking good care of your gums and teeth will not only ensure a bright, white smile, it will also put you at lower risk ofcontracting severe conditions such as esophageal cancer. Unfortunately, most adults are negligent when it comes to oral health. If you see your teeth yellowing, using whitening toothpaste may not fix the problem. Adopting good oral hygiene practices is a must for keeping your teeth and gums in the best condition. Here are several tips that will help you preserve the natural whiteness of your teeth and avoid disease:

Be Careful What You Eat and Drink

Teeth can yellow naturally as people grow older. However, the teeth discoloration some adults face is not caused by age, but by lifestyle habits, says Dr. Carl Metz DDS. Particularly, what you eat or drink matters to the coloration of your teeth. Some foods and drinks cause teeth to discolor and stain. The main culprits are coffee, red wine, tea, tomato sauce, hard candy, various types of berries, and sugary sports drinks with artificial colors. To prevent staining of enamel, rinse your mouth soon after consuming any of these foods. Also, it’s highly recommended that you don’t regularly consume any of the foods that can cause stains on teeth. Regular exposure would only make staining worse and hard to reverse. Some foods, like hard candy and sports drinks, which are high in sugar, are best avoided.

Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day

Tooth brushing twice a day is essential for oral hygiene. In addition to preventing cavities, brushing also removes superficial stains from the enamel of teeth. So, the stains don’t accumulate and become difficult to remove. Therefore, do start brushing your teeth properly twice a day, if you currently do it only once. Using a mouthwash rinse and flossing several times a week is also recommended by many dentists.

Don’t Smoke

Smoking tobacco is not only bad for your lungs, it’s also bad for your teeth. Tobacco smoke does stain teeth. If you have seen regular smokers, you may notice that these people have teeth that are yellower than normal. That’s the tobacco. To enjoy a myriad of health benefits, including white teeth, avoid smoking tobacco.

See a Dentist Regularly

Don’t forget to keep up with your regular dental appointments. It’s highly recommended to see a dentist at least twice a year even if you don’t have any aching in your mouth. Dentists can tell you if your teeth are staining naturally or if something else is causing the staining. Your dentist can also recommend in-office teeth whitening if your teeth are yellowing atypically. In-office teeth whitening is more effective than using over-the-counter whitening products. The procedure can remove deep stains in enamel. There are additionally other advanced whitening procedures for deeply discolored teeth that only your dentist can recommend. Therefore, do visit your dentist and ask what more you could do to keep your teeth bright.

Adopt good habits that will prevent the risk of teeth discoloration and oral disease. For example, rinsing your mouth after eating or drinking, and using a straw when drinking beverages known to stain teeth, are two good habits that are easy enough to master. Follow the suggestions and you will be able to maintain a gleaming smile well into sunset years.