5 Tips for a Healthy (and More Kissable) Mouth

February 8, 2019

65 days. That’s the number on my wedding countdown clock and I couldn’t be more excited (and stressed). Whenever people used to tell me that planning a wedding is basically a full time job I used to think that sounded a little dramatic. Like, how hard could it be right? You book the vendors, you pick out some linens, say yes to the dress, and then everything magically falls into place.

Well, the jokes on me because it has been pretty hard to keep up with. And this is coming from a girl who lives for multi-tasking! In order to help manage my stress levels, I’ve been keeping up my fitness routine and scheduling extra time for self-care. This means more nights filled with hot baths, meditation, cookies and wine (hey, a girl’s gotta treat herself!) but also a little more attention to my overall appearance. I’ve used these months before my upcoming wedding to give my hair, skin, and nails all the extra TLC.

As I was going through my routine, I realized there was a critical area that I was slightly not giving extra love. My teeth and gums.

When it comes to oral care, I always felt like it was rather straightforward. You brush twice a day, floss, add a mouthwash a few times a week, go to the dentist and that’s it. However, here’s the thing… there’s so much more that can help you get the healthiest mouth ever.

With February being the month of love, it’ll probably pay off to treat yo’ mouth to some extra TLC so it’s healthy and kissable.  It’s also American Heart Month, which is a great reminder to take your oral care seriously since the same bad bacteria found in your mouth is also found in the arterial plaque in heart disease.

Here are the 5 things I’m doing to make sure my teeth and gums are happy and healthy by the time I say “I do.”

KICK CANDY TO THE CURB

Bacteria in your mouth thrive on sugar, and the acids they produce eventually eat away at enamel. Since candy is basically all sugar, you can see the issue that they would pose on your overall mouth health. Sour candies are the worst offenders because they are super acidic. It’s best to avoid them as much as possible and opt for other sweets (in moderation) that won’t get stuck in your teeth.

TAKE PROBIORA HEALTH DAILY

ProBiora®Plus is an oral care  probiotic mint. Yep, you heard that right. A PROBIOTIC mint!! You guys, it’s basically genius and you know how big a fan of probiotics I am considering the fact that even my skincare is made up of them.

*These mints promote healthy gums, fresher breath, and even whiter teeth when you take them at least once a day. Essentially, when ProBiora®Plus dissolves, it adds millions of good bacteria that drive out the bad bacteria, leading to a better balance of bacteria in the mouth.

Now, I do want to preface that the mints take some time to dissolve and they don’t necessarily taste like your average breath mint. They’re pretty mild in flavor and I would recommend taking one at least an hour before you go to sleep (since you’re supposed to not drink anything for 30 minutes after taking one). When I first started trying the mints I would pop one in my mouth as I was getting ready for bed and then would be up for a good 15 min waiting for it to dissolve before I could actually fall asleep.

This may be a little TMI but I used to have really bad breath in the morning. Something my fiance has mentioned several times before which is why I’ve always made it a point to make brushing my teeth the first thing I do the second I get out of bed. After taking ProBiora®Plus for the past month, I’ve noticed that my morning breath is nowhere near the intensity that it used to be! You can say, he’s been pretty happy about that.

They also make a pet probiotic which I’m definitely considering for Nina. Because hey, she deserves a healthy mouth too. 

SCRAPE YOUR TONGUE

Tongue scraping stems from traditional Ayurvedic practices and is a great way to remove the toxins that come out of your tongue each night. I’ve used a toothbrush to do this before but recently bought a tongue scraper off Amazon because it’s much more effective. They’re super affordable (mine was $6) so definitely worth the investment.

TRY OIL PULLING WEEKLY

Another Ayurvedic practice, oil pulling has been gaining rapid popularity! You’ve probably seen lots of wellness bloggers do this on the ‘gram. Essentially, all you have to do is swish your mouth with coconut oil for 15-20 minutes in order to improve gum health, prevent cavities, and kill harmful bacteria in your mouth. To be honest I’ve only been able to do this a few times and can only last for 10 minutes before I can’t handle it anymore. However, I think there’s a lot of validity in this and am hoping to increase my tolerance level to finally be able to do it for the recommended amount of time.  

GET ENOUGH VITAMIN C

We’ve all heard that calcium helps build strong bones and teeth, but did you know Vitamin C is also a crucial component of proper oral care? You can always take a vitamin if you’re worried you don’t get the recommended daily amount but I find that as long as your diet is high in fruits like berries and oranges and green vegetables, you’re probably getting the amount you need. On that note, it’s better to get your Vitamin C from whole fruits and vegetables rather than fruit juices, since those can be super acidic and sugary.

I hope you find all these tips helpful! If you have any questions about the things I suggested or want to share your own experience feel free to send me a note! I love hearing from you.

With love,

Original Post by Melanie of Headstands & Heels
https://www.headstandsandheels.com/2019/02/5-tips-for-a-healthy-and-more-kissable-mouth/

Note – this post is sponsored by Probiora Health. As always, all opinions are strictly my own.

*There are no known interactions between ProBioraPlus and medications. In fact, it is wise to use ProBioraPlus during and after a course of antibiotics, which can disrupt the bacterial balance in the mouth. As with use for any medication, it is suggested that you check with your Doctor/Dentist or Pharmacist for more information.