The First Step to Looking Beautiful: A Great Smile
By: Alicia
From spending money on skincare to makeup and beauty treatments, many of us put in quite an amount of effort to look presentable and beautiful. Fashion and beauty trends are endless, and there always seems to be something new to try out.
Nonetheless, there is one type of care that is often neglected, and that is dental care! A great smile is the first step to looking beautiful and when you’re confident about the way your teeth look, you’re probably more likely to smile!
However, getting pearly whites is not so easy…
Many activities we do throughout the day such as drinking coffee, tea, eating food with pigments or colouring, may stain our teeth. These stains left over time may turn it into plaque and tartar, changing our teeth into a yellowish shade. This is caused when the naturally-occurring bacteria in our mouths mix with the remnants of food particles to form a sticky film.
It’s important to stick to an effective dental care routine to remove this sticky film and ensure it does not build up over time. Here are some dental care beauty tips to consider!
1. Choice of Toothbrush
There are many variations of toothbrushes out there, such as the brush head type and bristle type. It’s important to choose bristles that aren’t too rough as they may cause your gums to recede or bleed.
Oral experts recommend changing your toothbrush frequently, ideally once every month. A toothbrush shouldn’t be used for more than three months because of the large buildup of bacteria in the bristles over time. Keep your teeth and gums clean and infection-free by replacing your brushes often! At Osakakuma, we have a number of good quality toothbrushes imported from Japan, have a look!
LION Dent Health Toothbrush Ordinary 1For those with sensitive gums
This toothbrush has extremely soft bristles and a small brush head, allowing you to brush the hard-to-reach corners of your teeth and small gaps. This brush is perfect for those with sensitive gums or those who wear braces!
Manmou Platinum Nano Toothbrush Light BlueFor those who want deep cleansing
With 20,000 extra-fine platinum nano-ion bristles, this toothbrush by Manmou deep cleanses the gaps between your teeth while providing long-term antibacterial effect on your teeth and gums. Extremely comfortable and non-irritating, these are a good option for those of you with sensitive teeth and gums.
EBiSU Premium Care 6 Lines, Compact Toothbrush (Soft Bristles)
For those who want quick and efficient cleansing
EBiSU is a Japanese national oral care brand and its most popular feature is their wide-headed, soft bristles. What makes this different from the other toothbrushes we’ve mentioned so far is that its brush head is 14% wider than ordinary toothbrushes and contains a combination of hard and soft bristles.
With a larger surface area and more bristles, the wider range it can cover while brushing your teeth. You can even brush the upper and lower rows of your teeth at once! This one is suitable for those who don’t want the hassle of cleaning with a small toothbrush head, and need something quick and efficient.
2. Choice of Toothpaste
The next step to achieving a million-watt smile is to find a good toothpaste! Prices of toothpaste may vary so it may be confusing to choose, but here are some tips to get you started:
- Toothpaste prices may vary but their ingredients are generally the same. The basic function of toothpaste is to clear the plaque buildup on the tooth surface.
- If you have certain dental issues, choose the toothpaste that targets such issues. Common ones include:
- Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory: Contains antibacterial ingredients, but avoid using this type of toothpaste for a long time as it may cause an imbalance in the oral flora, which are your mouth’s natural bacteria.
- Desensitisation: Contains sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride, strontium chloride, etc which can relieve pain in the short-term, but not long-term.
- Whitening: Contains high-efficiency friction agents such as peroxides.
- Eliminate bad breath: Contains additional aromatics and antibacterial components, helpful to people with mild halitosis.
- Hemostatic toothpaste: Toothpaste that can reduce bleeding gums, mainly contains “tranexamic acid”.
Here are a number of toothpastes that we recommend from Osakakuma!
LION White & White Refreshing Mint Flavour
For those who want an affordable, fuss-free toothpaste
Lion King is a century-old brand. This toothpaste is affordable and therefore our first recommended toothpaste!
This is a a teeth-whitening fluoride toothpaste that helps keep teeth healthy and clear. The fluorine strengthens the tooth structure and prevents cavities and it has a refreshing mint flavor. A simple, fuss-free toothpaste for daily use!
Sunstar Ora2 Premium Stain Clear Paste (Shiny Citrus Mint)For those who want white teeth and fresh breath
Sunstar Ora2 has been the champion of the Japanese whitening toothpaste market for 8 years, providing healthy oral care to people in more than 80 countries and regions. There are many models for this toothpaste, and you can select them depending on your need. The fresh fruit flavour in particular is especially popular among women! Not only does it provide teeth whitening, but it keeps your breath smelling fresh and fruity!
Sunstar GUM Medicated Dental ToothpasteFor those who want extra care to dental hygiene
This is a medicated toothpaste by Sunstar that can effectively sterilize periodontal bacteria, and firmly absorb and remove bacterial debris after sterilization. It also helps to prevent gum inflammation and periodontal diseases such as gingivitis, periodontitis, and bad breath. If you tend to be prone to dental issues and would like to take extra care of your dental health, this toothpaste is the best one for you!
Yamada Bee Farm Propolis ToothpasteFor those who want a natural toothpaste
The Yamada Bee Farm toothpaste exudes a faint propolis scent and is foam-free without the use of any synthetic surfactants. It uses safe and natural ingredients which can effectively prevent tooth decay while freshening up your breath.
3. Mouthwash and Mouth Sprays
While maintaining good oral hygiene by routinely brushing your teeth, you can take it up a notch by investing in a mouthwash and mouth spray! Mouthwashes and sprays are portable and convenient, allowing you to freshen up your breath at the last minute when you’re outside and don’t have a toothbrush or toothpaste in hand.
Propolinse Refresh Super Strong Mint Mouth Wash (After Smoking)For those who need a quick deep cleanse
This is a mouthwash containing propolis, an ingredient that refreshes your mouth while washing away protein stains in your mouth, which is one of the causes of bad breath. When you rinse and spit out the mouthwash, you can even see the protein stain lumps being washed away!
The ick factor is a little high but it’s all worth it when you're bad breath-free and well-protected from germs. It also gives you a mild refreshing sensation and you’ll be able to go about your day without worrying about your breath.
Sunstar Ora2 Mouth Spray CitrusFor those looking for a breath-freshener on the go
Ora2 breath freshening spray is a very popular oral spray in Japan and with a single spray, it can eliminate bad breath, after-meal food odour, and keep your breath fresh all day. If you’re really in a rush and don’t have time to rinse with a toothpaste or mouthwash, then simply take this small mist out of your bag, give your mouth a few sprays, and you’re good to go!
The product is packaged in a cute little bottle which fits easily in your pocket or makeup bag, and can be sprayed anywhere, anytime!
Having a bright smile and healthy teeth goes a long way
We’ve come to the end of our share of dental care tips! Paying attention to your dental care and investing in good dental products will definitely pay off. The first step to looking beautiful is having a great smile, and when you’re confident about your smile and teeth, you won’t have to fret about this part!
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