Who doesn’t want to have a beautiful, healthy smile? It’s one of the first things people notice when meeting someone new.
I was lucky. My mom taught me pretty good oral hygiene habits when I was growing up.
Sure, I had my share of cavities as a kid, but I brushed my teeth regularly and I grew up appreciating the feeling of a clean mouth. I still love the feeling of just-brushed and flossed teeth.
As my own kids have grown up, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stressed over wondering if I had taught then enough (in more ways than just oral care, of course!). I remember the days when brushing their teeth was a daily fight (yes, I was the mom who would pin my kids down to get their teeth clean). Luckily, I don’t have to fight my teens to brush their teeth anymore…but I definitely have to remind them every once in a while.
5 Easy Tips for a Healthy Smile
Here are 5 simple tips that anyone can implement for better oral care – brushing, flossing, and everything in between.
Change your toothbrush every 3 months or after you’ve been sick – You’ve probably heard this advice from your dentist before, but it’s advice worth repeating. You wouldn’t use a toothbrush that had just been pulled out of the garbage, would you? Of course not. So don’t use an old, worn out toothbrush. Not only can they harbor germs, but frayed and bent bristles don’t clean as well. A few tips for keeping your toothbrush clean in between uses: store brushes standing up so they can air dry, and avoid having toothbrushes bristles from different family members touching while stored. Move toothbrushes to the side of the sink farthest away from the toilet.
Did you know? The American Dental Association recommends changing your brush at least every three months. If you’re getting over a cold or flu, they recommend changing your toothbrush to avoid spreading germs and reintroducing the virus to yourself.
Floss everyday – Flossing removes plaque and particles from between teeth and reaches places that a toothbrush simply cannot reach. It doesn’t matter when you do it (morning, mid-day, or night, before brushing or after) as long as you’re doing it regularly.
Drink plenty of water – If you eat during the day and can’t brush your teeth right away, the best thing you can do is to drink water. Not only can water flush away food that may instead sit on your teeth for hours, but most water that we drink is fluoridated. Fluoride is a powerful agent in preventing tooth decay. Bonus: drinking water is healthy for the rest of your body, too, not just your teeth!
Make it part of your routine – Brushing your teeth twice a day is recommended, but three times a day is even better. Make brushing part of your morning and evening routine – when you get up in the morning and before you go to bed at night. I’ve also found that brushing in between meals helps me curb the temptation to snack. It may not be a scientific benefit, but it helps me be motivated to brush more often!
Be gentle – keeping your teeth and gums clean and healthy is about consistency, not about scrubbing your teeth as hard as you can. In fact, over-brushing can wear down the enamel on your teeth and cause gum recession. The good news is that plaque can be removed with simple, gentle brushing.
I am excited to introduce you to BOKA: Boka delivers natural oral care products, delivered to your door every 3 months. Subscriptions are risk-free – you can cancel at any time! You can also buy individual oral care products any time, with no obligation.
I LOVE the convenience of having our new toothbrushes delivered every quarter so I don’t have to remember when everyone in the family needs to swap their toothbrush out for a new one. One less thing to have to think about! I’m also excited to convert the rest of the family to more natural oral care – I’ve been slowly converting to more natural products in our home, from the essential oils we use daily to the earth-friendly shampoo that we love.
What’s inside a Boka Box?
- New toothbrushes for the whole family: Boka toothbrushes look a little different than the toothbrushes we have used previously because the bristles are black. The kids think that their new black-bristle toothbrushes are so cool and love telling people that the bristles are made with Binchotan activated charcoal, which naturally helps prevent bacteria from growing on the brush (ok, maybe they leave out the technical part, but they love sharing the charcoal tidbit!).
- Natural toothpaste: I switched to an all-natural toothpaste quite a while ago, and I have to say….I love the flavor of Boka’s minty toothpaste even better than what I had been using! Boka’s toothpaste is made WITH the good stuff (natural ingredients and peppermint and mint essential oils) and WITHOUT things like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), fluoride, triclosan, artificial flavors or parabens.
- Boka dental floss: Boka floss works just like the floss you’re used to – it glides smoothly and works great to give you super-clean teeth and gums. It’s wrapped in natural beeswax and it’s Teflon-free and petroleum-free.
BONUS: for every Boka brush purchased, Boka donates a toothbrush to their nonprofit partner Surge.
In addition to the Boka Box items above, I was able to try their Cocorinse (a coconut oil mouth rinse with peppermint and spearmint oils. I’ve oil pulled before and LOVE how it makes my teeth and mouth feel, but oil pulling with Cocorinse was the BEST oil pulling experience I’ve had. The one-time-use packets are so convenient and the flavor was amazing. If you’ve never tried oil pulling, THIS should be your first experience!
Visit Boka.com to customize your own Boka box subscription, or buy just what you need any time with no obligation!
SAVE With This Exclusive Discount Code
Use CODE: FOODFUNFAMILY25 for 25% off any purchase (no limits – can be used for any product/subscription/gift set)
- VALID DATES: now through April 15, 2016
- FINE PRINT: Cannot be combined with other offers, cannot be used by the same individual more than once
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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
© 2016, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
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