Pearly Whites

From the time your first tooth poked its way through your tender gums, those pearly whites have played an enormous role in your life. Not only do the 32 nuggets in your mouth help you talk and chew, they can make or break your appearance.

Although aesthetics are important, however, even more important is tooth and gum health. In the last few years, researchers have uncovered a link between periodontal (gum) disease and increased risk of heart disease. One study found that men with periodontitis had a whopping 72 percent greater risk of developing coronary disease than those with healthy gums.

To keep your choppers in tip-top shape (heck, just to keep them in the first place), we've come up with the following 22 tips that go far beyond just brushing and flossing.

1. Go on a white-teeth diet. What goes in, shows up on your teeth. So if you're quaffing red wine and black tea, or smoking cigarettes or cigars, expect the results to show up as not-so-pearly whites. Other culprits to blame for dingy teeth include colas, gravies, and dark juices. Bottom line: If it's dark before you put it in your mouth, it will probably stain your teeth. So step one: Brush your teeth immediately after eating or drinking foods that stain teeth. Step two: Regularly use a good bleaching agent, either over-the-counter or in the dentist's office. Step three: Be conscious of the foods and drink in your diet that can stain your teeth, and eat only when a toothbrush is around. If there isn't one, eat an apple for dessert -- it will provide some teeth-cleaning action.

2. Hum while you brush. The ideal amount of time to brush in order to get all the bacteria-packed plaque out is at least two minutes, British researchers found. Today you can actually purchase a song called "The Brush Along Song," which runs exactly 2 1/2 minutes, to accompany your brushing. It's targeted toward kids, but so what? Isn't there a kid within all of us? Otherwise, keep a timer in the bathroom and set it for two minutes.
3. Grip your toothbrush like a pencil. Does your toothbrush look like it just cleaned an SUV? If so, you're probably brushing too hard. Contrary to what some scrub-happy people think, brushing with force is not the best way to remove plaque. According to Beverly Hills dentist Harold Katz, D.D.S., the best way to brush is by placing your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against your gums and gently moving it in a circular motion, rather than a back-and-forth motion. Grip the toothbrush like a pencil so you won't scrub too hard.

4. Drink a cup of tea every day. Flavonoids and other tea ingredients seem to prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to teeth, and also block production of a type of sugar that contributes to cavities. Tea also contains high amounts of fluoride.

5. Chuck your toothbrush or change the head of your electric toothbrush at least every two to three months. Otherwise, you're just transferring bacteria to your mouth.

珍珠白

自从你的第一颗牙齿戳开你幼嫩的牙龈之时，这些珍珠白就在你的生活中发挥巨大的作用。你口中的这 32 个硬东西不仅帮助你说话和咀嚼，而且可以造就或者破坏你的容貌。

虽然美学是重要的，但是，更为重要的是牙齿和牙龈的健康。在过去几年里，研究人员已经发现牙周（牙龈）疾病与增加的心脏病风险之间的关联。一项研究发现，患牙周炎的男性比具有健康牙龈的男性，有高达 72％ 的更大风险发生冠状动脉疾病。

为了让你的切刀保持最佳的状态（嘿，只是想让它们摆在首位），我们提出了下面 22 个提示，远远超出了仅仅刷牙和使用牙线。

1.继续‘白齿’饮食习惯。什么东西会进入你的牙齿或者在你的牙齿上显示出来。如果你痛饮红葡萄酒和红茶，或者抽烟抽雪茄，那么预料其结果就会显示出你的牙齿没有那么珠光白。咎取暗黑色牙齿的其它罪魁祸首包括可乐、肉汤和深色果汁。底线是：如果这样东西在放进你的口中之前是深色的，它就可能污染你的牙齿。因此，步骤一：在食用或者饮用污染牙齿的食品之后立即刷牙。步骤二：定期使用良好的漂白剂，无论是在柜台上或者在牙医的诊室。第三步：对你的饮食中可能污染牙齿的食品和饮料保持自觉，只在附近有牙刷时才吃这些东西。如果没有牙刷的话，可以吃一个作为甜点的苹果——它会提供一些清洁牙齿的作用。

2. 刷牙时哼哼。英国研究人员发现，为了去掉所有充满细菌的斑块，刷牙的理想时间至少要两分钟。今天，你其实可以购买一首叫作“伴随歌曲刷牙”的歌曲，它正好伴随你刷牙演唱 2 1/2 分钟。

它是以孩子为目标的，但是那又怎样呢？在我们所有人之中不是有一个孩子吗？不然的话，就在卫生间里保留一个定时器，并且设定它为两分钟。

3.像拿铅笔那样握住你的牙刷。请问你的牙刷是否看起来像是正在清洗一辆 SUV（运动型多功能车）那样？如果是的话，你可能太用力了。相反，有些高兴擦洗的人认为，用力刷牙并不是去除斑块的最好方法。根据比佛利山庄牙医 D.D.S.哈罗德 卡兹的说法，最好的刷牙方法是把你的牙刷以 45 度的角度放到你的牙龈上，并且以圆周运动轻轻移动它，而不是前后运动。像拿铅笔那样握住你的牙刷，因此你不致太用力刷洗。

4.每天喝一杯茶。类黄酮化合物和其它茶叶成分似乎可以防止有害的细菌粘附到牙齿上，并且也阻止促进蛀牙的糖类的产生。茶还含有大量的氟化物。

5.至少每两至三个月就扔掉你的牙刷或者更换你的电动牙刷的刷头。否则，你就是在把细菌往你的嘴里送。