Get over your toothpaste. “It’s your technique that removes bacteria, not the toothpaste you use.” Abrasive toothpastes can wear down tooth enamel, so consider brushing instead with just baking soda and water, provided your water’s fluoridated. “Fluoride is a must.”
Don’t work blind. Brush from the back teeth to the front and pull your lips aside as needed so you can see that you’re missing nothing: “The bristles should hit where the gum meets the tooth.”
Tongue and gums next. “Bacteria camps out on your tongue,” so brush the top from back to front or use a tongue scraper. When you floss, “the floss should make contact with the tooth as it goes under the gum.”
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Pick helpful foods. Eating apples, carrots, or celery actually cleans teeth; strawberries temporarily make teeth appear whiter.
Source: Allure
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