A lot of people are not happy about the appearance of their teeth. Teeth are a relatively small part of the self, yet they play a huge role in determining self esteem. Do not let your dental problems lower your self-esteem and take action instead. To avoid this problem, read this article for advice on improving the look of your teeth.

When brushing, you want to make sure that you are using the proper equipment. You want your brush's bristles to be soft and comfortably fit your mouth. If you have pain in your hand or wrist that prevents you from brushing with a traditional toothbrush, give an electric brush a try.

Remember that you are what you eat, and so are your teeth. If you smoke a lot and drink red wine often, your teeth do get discolored. If you want whiter teeth, change what you eat. If it's dark going on your mouth, your teeth are going to get dark from it.

How much time do you spend on brushing your teeth? If you want to brush your teeth efficiently, you will have to spend some time on each tooth so you can brush both sides as well as the space in between teeth. Use an egg-timer if you want to make sure you spend enough time on brushing your teeth.

Many teens are lazy with their oral hygiene. A good way to get your teens to brush, floss and use mouthwash on a regular basis is to remind them that no one likes to get close to someone with bad breath. That can be a great motivator for teenagers, as they care what other teens think at that age.

As you floss, focus on just one tooth before turning your attention to the next one. Work the floss down to your gum line and then carefully pull it back up to get rid of any plaque that has accumulated. In a back-and-forth motion, rub the floss so that it cleans the tooth well.

Never assume that skipping your dental appointment is okay. Everyone should start getting dental care as soon as they are six months old. Dental check-ups should be done every six months after. This holds true for children, teenagers, adults and the elderly. Everyone needs to see a dentist twice a year past their first birthday.

If you feel pain because of your wisdom teeth, talk to your dentist about extraction. Wisdom teeth extractions are common procedures and nothing to become too alarmed about. If you have an infected wisdom tooth, you should have it removed. Any pain in the wisdom teeth is also a good indication that they should come out.

If you've just had a meal but don't have access to water, a brush and toothpaste, pop in a stick of sugar-free braces gum. Dentist recommended this as an adequate substitute until you can brush your teeth properly. Chewing gum will also help remove bits of food that may be lodged between teeth.

It can be quite uncomfortable to be intimately engaged in a conversation with someone who has horrible breath. Maybe it is something they ate, or just plain old bad dental care habits. Whatever the case may be, a good way to help yourself out of this situation is to carry around gum or mints. Have one yourself and offer them one at the same time. This makes a polite gesture a successful covert operation.

Chew some sugarless gum after each meal. The motion of chewing encourages the production of saliva which works as a wash for your teeth. Any sugars from foods that you have eaten can effectively be washed away. This is a good way to keep your teeth clean between meals if you cannot brush.

This article has discussed some of the numerous ways that you can care for your teeth. There is no reason why you shouldn't dedicate a bit of your time each day to caring for your teeth. Apply all that you've just learned to ensure you're doing all that you can for the health of your teeth.