Women's health

“Here’s how I care for my teeth and keep breath fresh”

From problem skin to thinning hair, menopause brings with it a number of challenging symptoms. And our mouths are no exception, as fluctuating hormones can affect how healthy our teeth and gums are, too.

And let’s face it, we all want a pearly white smile and to keep our breath as fresh as possible.

Here, we share our founder, Liz Earle’s, top oral hygiene tips to care for teeth and keep breath fresh.

Liz Earle’s top tips for healthy teeth and fresh breath

Tongue scraping

Upon waking, Liz heads to the bathroom to scrape her tongue. She uses a simple copper tongue scraper, which you can find online or in a health store – just like this option here.

Tongue scraping is an Ayurvedic technique that scrapes away the white fuzzy build-up on the tongue.

This build-up often appears overnight, so it’s wise to use a tongue scraper each morning to keep things feeling fresh.

Liz then rinses her mouth with a glass of water to get rid of any debris.

Toothbrush and toothpaste

Manual or electric? When it comes to her toothbrush, Liz favours an electric option for extra brushing power.

Electric toothbrushes are generally more effective than manual toothbrushes at removing plaque and to help with gum health. This is especially important as we age and gums begin to recede.

And when it comes to picking her toothpaste, Liz goes for a whitening formula for sensitive teeth.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Liz stands on one leg while brushing her teeth to test her balance. She switches half way through to build strength on both legs.

Flossing

It’s a step that many miss, but flossing between our teeth can help to avoid plaque build-up and remove bacteria.

Liz prefers to use a water flosser over traditional dental floss to support her gum health. Water flossers deliver a jet of water to clean between the teeth.

Liz says that water flossers can be twice as effective as dental floss, and tend to be kinder on the gums.

If you prefer inter-dental sticks, Liz recommends wooden ones over plastic. Liz also steers clear of any kind of floss that has a non-stick ‘glide’ surface, due to the chemicals that are used for the coating.

Mouthguard

Liz’s nighttime essentials include a bite guard. This helps to protect teeth against damage from nighttime stress-related molar grinding.

Not only can this damage our teeth, but it can also cause pain and tension in the neck, jaw and head.

Liz says she has used many different types of bit guards over the years, but none have been more effective than DenTek Ready-Fit Disposable Dental Guards.

While labelled as disposable, Liz has found that you can use these over and over, as long as they are kept clean in between uses.

A bite guard doesn’t stop clenching and grinding, but will reduce the damage and impact.