7 Healthy Ways to Give Your Smile a Makeover

Woman smiling in a winter hat and scarf.

There’s a chill in the air that can only mean the holidays are fast approaching. From pumpkin carving to New Year's toasting, there's no denying that the holidays are one of the most wonderful times of the year. The one potential downside? All that hustle and bustle  can make it challenging to find time for your oral health routine—which can interfere with you looking and feeling your best during this special season.

If you’ve been wishing you could keep your smile as bright as those holiday lights all season long, get ready for some holiday magic with our simple smile makeover.

In this article, you’ll discover:

  • The top major factors that can dull your holiday smile.
  • Why achieving an amazing smile doesn’t mean more brushing, flossing, or mouthwash.
  • 7 super simple tips for giving your smile a healthy makeover.

Why Are You Hiding Your Smile?

Your smile is a unique gift that only you can offer, but if you’re not confident about your grin, you may find yourself smiling less often—and the world will miss out on that special gift! Here’s why you may be keeping your smile under wraps this holiday season: 

Your mouth doesn’t feel or smell fresh

Ever had one of those days where it feels like your mouth is just...stale? Maybe you've brushed (and brushed again), but you still feel like you need to pop a mint. It turns out that how clean your mouth feels (and smells!) has a lot to do with your oral bacteria.

Sometimes bad breath is the result of nothing more than one too many garlic knots. But when it comes to excessive or stubborn smells, bacterial imbalance is likely a root cause. Unfortunately, the most common fix––going to town with the toothpaste and mouthwash—may just exacerbate the problem. That’s because many dental health products are made with ingredients that are harmful to your beneficial oral bacteria. 

Your mouth naturally contains up to 700 different species of bacteria, the majority of which are beneficial not only for your oral health, but for your overall wellness. All those bacteria form an ecosystem called your oral microbiome, and unfortunately, many oral hygiene products like antibacterial mouthwashes indiscriminately kill off that whole system, so the friendly microbes that keep the bad guys in check are lost along with the germs you don’t want—which ultimately leads to an unbalanced microbiome.

When the balance of good bacteria to bad gets out of whack and undesirable bacteria start to take over, that’s when less than sweet breath and other dental woes can become an issue. Plus, unwanted bacteria in your mouth can actually travel to your bloodstream and negatively impact your overall health!

Several other factors can contribute to oral microbial imbalance as well, including exposure to antibiotics in food or medication, harsh cleansers, and pollution. Another habit that really amps up the bad guys is eating lots of refined sugar or drinking alcohol—both of which are common temptations during the holidays.

Your teeth have lost their brightness

There's nothing quite like looking at pictures of yourself and noticing how much closer your teeth are to the yellow star on top of the tree than the snowflake ornaments on its branches. But before you reach for the whitening strips, you should know that many of the chemicals or abrasives in whitening products are bad for your microbiome and can damage your enamel, leaving your teeth softer, weaker, and more prone to damage.

7 Ways to Give your Smile a Healthy Makeover

If conventional oral hygiene products often do more harm than good, how can you keep those nasty Grinches from spoiling your holiday smile? Try our simple, seven-step approach.

1. Swish some superfood!.

Clean, fresh tasting wheatgrass turns out to be nature's mouthwash! It's chock full of mouth-friendly enzymes and vitamins, and research shows it may even discourage the number of S. mutans, an undesirable type of bacteria associated with tooth and gum issues.2 Try swishing a Sari Foods Organic Wheatgrass shot as part of your morning routine—your teeth will love you for it.

2. Try oil pulling.

This ancient Ayurvedic technique for cleaning your teeth and gums has recently picked up some scientific attention. Studies show that oil pulling––basically swishing oil in your mouth for about 20 minutes a day––may discourage the types of bacteria that cause oral health issues.3 (If the thought of oil in your mouth is unappealing, you can try wheatgrass pulling instead!)

3. Take an oral probiotic.

If you’re looking for the best way to support your oral microbiome, go straight to the source with a premium oral probiotic like Hyperbiotics PRO-Dental. With strains of S. salivarius that have been clinically studied for their ability to loosen sticky biofilm and crowd out undesirable bacteria, zinc to support strong teeth and gums, and two Lactobacillus strains to replenish your microbiome with beneficial bacteria, PRO-Dental is the perfect complement to your natural oral health regimen.

4. Switch to softer floss.

Have you ever noticed blood in your mouth (or in the sink) after flossing? It turns out that those synthetic fibers can be tough on gums, so try a softer floss like Cocofloss instead. Textured and with more surface area than traditional floss, it gently scrubs your teeth like a loofah rather than scraping your gums with harsh plastic. Cocofloss is also coated with coconut oil for a super clean flossing experience.

5. Get your “C” on.

Along with a healthy diet, vitamin C is one of the key nutrients that supports oral health maintenance. It not only encourages your body to absorb the calcium you eat so your teeth stay strong, this important nutrient also supports the immune system to keep your whole mouth (and body!) healthy. Sari Foods Natural Vitamin C Powder from Organic Acerola Cherries is a fantastic whole food source of vitamin C complex, designed specifically for easy absorption.4

6. Lose the sugary mints and try xylitol mints instead.

Instead of exacerbating any breath issues you might have with sugar-filled mints, try xylitol mints instead. Xylitol is sweet,which makes it attractive to unwanted bacteria—but its molecular structure is different so the bacteria that eat it starve to death, leaving you with fresher breath and a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria.

7. Switch to an Activated Charcoal Probiotic Toothpaste.

Whitening toothpastes and strips often contain ingredients that are too harsh for your enamel, damaging it as they whiten. But that doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice your pearly whites or face grey days! Hyperbiotics Activated Charcoal Probiotic Toothpaste gently encourages a brighter smile with organic activated charcoal powder so you can get that beautiful, fresh look without hurting your enamel. This wholesome natural toothpaste also contains a strain of L. paracasei that helps maintain your oral microbiome, along with organic coconut oil and xylitol to further encourage healthy microbial balance and clean, fresh breath..

Which tip are you going to try first? Let us know in the comments below!

Here’s to peace, love, and big, beautiful smiles this holiday season!

References:

  1. Kilian, M., Chapple, I.C.L., Hannig, M., Marsh, P.D. . . . Zaura, E. (2016). The Oral Microbiome – An Update for Oral Healthcare Professionals. British Dental Journal, 221. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2016.865
  2. Rajpurohit, L., Mehta, N., Ankola, A.V., Gadiyar, A. (2015). Evaluation of the Anti-Microbial Activity of Various Concentration of Wheat Grass (Triticum Aestivum) Extract Against Gram-positive Bacteria: An In Vitro Study. Journal of Dental Research and Review, 2(2). doi: 10.4103/2348-2915.161204
  3. Asokan, S., Emmadi, P., Chamundeswari, R. (2009). Effect of Oil Pulling on Plaque Induced Gingivitis: A Randomized, Controlled, Triple-blind Study. Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, 20(1).
  4. Rubinoff A.B., Latner, P.A., Pasut, L.A. (1989). Vitamin C and Oral Health. Journal of the Canadian Dental Association, 55(9).

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