What a Smile Expert Wants You to Know About Your Teeth

Cosmo India spoke to renowned oral health expert Dr Reena Wadia to learn her easy to follow, expert tips to keep your smile looking radiant and healthy.

When it comes to your overall persona, a charming, healthy and radiant smile is possibly the best accessory anyone can wear. One of your most prominent facial features, the look of your smile can instantly transform your face, making you look attractive, youthful and beautiful in an instant. We all spend countless hours and sums of money taking care of our skin and hair, but many a time, we might tend to overlook the importance of taking care of our teeth, and ensuring that our smile remains radiant and healthy, always. To help you on your quest for oral health and fitness, Cosmo India spoke to Dr Reena Wadia, an Indian-British globally renowned oral health expert, who shared her expert tips on keeping your smile and your teeth looking and feeling their best. Here is what she had to share.

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Dr Reena Wadia 

How can we keep our smiles looking radiant and healthy? 

“Creating a beautiful smile starts with fixing the foundations first, and prioritizing gum health practices,” shares Dr Reena. Here is her four-step routine for keeping your gums and teeth healthy.

Tooth-brushing

“Brushing your teeth isn’t as simple as it sounds, especially if you’ve not been shown before by a dental professional,” explains Dr Reena. 

“Firstly, I’d recommend buying an electric (re-chargeable) toothbrush. These are far more effective at removing plaque, because they’re designed to gently massage your teeth and gums correctly—with many now having a pressure sensor that warns you if you’re pressing too hard. You need to place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the spot where the gums and teeth meet, angle upwards for the upper teeth and downwards for the lower teeth. Spend a few seconds per tooth. For those with established gum disease, you are likely to need more than 2 minutes.”

“Always use a toothpaste containing fluoride. If you have specific issues e.g., tooth sensitivity, find a toothpaste which helps tackle this. Always spit and don’t rinse out your mouth after using the toothpaste or it will wash away all the ‘good stuff’!

Cleaning Between Your Teeth

 

“Cleaning between your teeth is essential. If you, don’t it’s a bit like only washing one side of a dirty dish and then using it again. You need to clean all surfaces. Interdental brushes are ideal, but if they don’t fit then use floss. Once a day is key.”

Mouthwash

 

“This is great as a breath freshener, but should be used at a different time to brushing, or it will wash away all the ‘good stuff’ in the toothpaste.”

Tongue cleaning   

 

“Tongue scraping and cleaning can be a helpful part of your oral healthcare regime. The tongue is made up of lots of little crypts, which can harbour bacteria and debris. If these are not regularly removed, a tongue coating forms and this is one of the biggest causes of bad breath. Once you’ve got used to it, your mouth won’t feel clean without it! We would recommend the RW Perio Tongue Scraper.”

RW-Perio Tongue Scraper, available at Shopify 

What You Need to Know About Gum Aesthetics 

“Gum aesthetics are at the forefront of specialist dentistry and these ‘tweakments’ can dramatically improve the overall smile,” shares Dr Reena. “This can cover everything from gum lifts and gum sculpting to correction of gum recession. Often, many people are unaware that these treatments are available with minimal disruption to your lifestyle during the procedure, with fast recovery and little downtime afterwards,” she adds. 

Important Facts About Gum Desease

“In clinic we have noticed a recent, dramatic shift in the world of dentistry post-pandemic, as patients adopt a health first approach,” says Dr Reena.”It is important to remember that an investment in your oral health is an investment in your general health. What many of us don’t realise is that gum disease is the most common disease in humans.” Here are five facts about gum disease and oral health that Dr Reena wants you to know:

1. It’s vital to bring Gum Disease to prominence – relatable to all age groups as too many people ignore the symptoms such as bleeding gums.

2. A healthy body begins with a healthy mouth. There is a clear link between oral health (gum/periodontal disease) and general health. There is now evidence to suggest links between gum disease and many other inflammatory conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and Alzheimer’s.

3. Many people seem to only clean their teeth. However, the key is the gum line as that’s where the bacteria get trapped. So, remember your teeth, tongue and gumline, and think of the mouth as a whole. If you’re going to use a mouthrinse, use it at a different time to brushing. They’re ideal to use throughout the day, for example, after lunch to freshen up.

4. Overly brushing or scrubbing your teeth may seem like a good idea but you could be causing more damage than good by brushing too hard. You may be brushing the gum away which can lead to gum recession, sensitivity, and irreversible damage.

5. The most well-known and requested for treatments across dentistry often start with orthodontic treatments such as Invisalign, whitening and bonding. We commonly see individuals prior to any of these treatments to get their smile in the healthiest condition to ensure the longevity of investing in the aesthetic process to ensure the final outcome will be successful from both a visual and health perspective.