Teeth Care
“Your teeth are outwardly made of enamel, a solid substance which has a great role to play in cutting food to pieces. Enamel is
supported from inside by a substance called dentine, a bone-like formation. It is below the dentine which has the network of blood
vessels and nerves which make the teeth feel cold and hot sensations. A tooth or a set of them are kept firm in their place with the
gums.” It is very important to maintain good oral health, not only to keep your teeth healthy, but also to help maintain your
confidence. Bad teeth can inhibit your smile.
Tips for Whiter, Cleaner Teeth
- Brush teeth after every meal. You would be amazed at how many people think that once a day is enough.
- Use baking soda twice a month to help remove any stains buildup. This advice is straight from my dentist.
- Keep an eye on your toothbrush. It can’t do its job if it is worn out. It might sound obvious, but you have no idea how many
people hold on to the same old brush. - Lemon peel massaged over the teeth is often used for whitening. Rinse thoroughly.
- Avoid smoking. This is one of the quickest ways of turning white teeth yellow.
- Floss at least once a day. Stains can easily form between teeth.
- Avoid coffee and red wine as much as possible. Both will quickly stain your teeth.
- Strawberries have a natural bleaching effect and are loaded with Vitamin C
- Have your teeth professionally cleaned once a year.
- Brush the full 2 minutes at least twice a day. A half-baked job on brushing just doesn’t do the job. Remember to swirl brush ALL the teeth, front and
back, the tongue and gums. - Don’t brush hard! This is bad for your teeth and gums. Brush gently, longer.
- If you want to keep your teeth sparkling and firm, consume less of sweets, chocolates etc. Even when you eat them, brush
your teeth immediately.
Toothpaste
The circle seemed as though it would never end on my quest to find a toothpaste that actually worked in making my mouth feel fresh
and my teeth whiter. The quest ended on my last purchase. I have found that for my teeth, Colgate (flouride toothpast with baking
soda & peroxide) Whitening Oxygen Bubbles worked best for me. However, we are all uniquely and wonderfully made. So, what
worked for me, may not work for you, but it’s worth a shot. The only side-effect was my teeth feel slightly sensitive only during
brushing
Homemade Toothepaste
Tip One
- Mix 3 parts baking soda (the cleanser and sweetener) to one part salt (the abrasive)- the powder. To each half cup of powder,
add 3 teaspoons of glycerin, 10-20 drops of flavoring (peppermint, wintergreen, anise, or cinnamon) Spoon the substance into
a small refillable plastic squeeze bottle or any container that dispenses easily.
Tip Two
- Add one cup baking soda and one cup salt to a wide mouth jar and shake. Wet toothbrush brush, shake off the excess water,
dip it in the mixture, and brush for two minutes. Then swish a few tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide in mouth, gargle, and
spit. Rinse with water a few times, making sure to gargle. Follow this with dental floss.
Flossing
Floss at least once a day, preferrably before bedtime. Flossing helps get the food that is stuck between your teeth out that your
toothbrush misses.
Mouthwash and Breathe Fresheners
- Wash your mouth with half a glass of warm water containing a teaspoon of table salt.
- Mix 2 ounces of Water, 1/4 Tsp of baking soda or Sea Salt, 1 drop of Pure Peppermint Oil, and 1 drop of Tea Tree oil.
- Chew fresh parsley, peppermint or spearmint leaves to sweeten the breath.
- Chew fennel or anise seeds to freshen the breath.
- Drink a cup of peppermint tea.
- Add 1 drop of myrrh oil to 1 cup of cooled, boiled water. Use as gargle/mouthwash.
Gums
Apart from brushing your teeth properly you should also massage your teeth and gums every morning with a mixture of mustard oil
and common salt. Take a pinch of salt, add a few drops of the oil, and rub into a fine paste. Apply this paste on your teeth and gums
Spit saliva, never take saliva in. Do so for 1 minute and you will find your teeth becoming stronger and stronger.
Nail Care
Your nails are made of keratin, the same type of protein in your hair. Each nail actually consists of
several parts, all of which play an important role in its health and growth:
Nail plate: This is what you see as the fingernail.
Nail bed: This lies below the nail plate; the two are attached. The capillaries in the nail bed nourish the nail and
give it its pinkish color.
Nail matrix: You don’t see most of this, yet it may be the most important. It’s below the cuticle at the base of the nail.
Cells in the matrix produce the fingernail. If the matrix gets damaged, your nail will be distorted or may even stop growing completely.
Lunula: This is the part of the matrix that you can see. It’s the half-moon-shaped portion at the bottom of your nail.
Cuticle: This fold of skin, made of dead cells, keeps foreign substances, such as infection-causing bacteria, out.
Nail fold: This is the ridge of skin around the nail.
What are your nails telling you??
(Healthy nails are translucent and look a little pinkish because of the blood underneath.)
Yellow Nails: Can be caused by- Over-exposure to the sun, a poor diet or the absence of a base coat underneath your regular polish
Pale or bluish nails: This may indicate anemia. Due to lack of iron and improper and under active blood circulation, the color of the
nails is lighter than the accompanying skin. For this, consume more whole grains and green leafy vegetables
Pink color slow in returning after nail is squeezed: This may indicate decreased or slowed blood circulation.
White spots: These result from injury to the nail; they’re not due to zinc or other nutrient deficiency as some people believe.
Beau’s lines: These horizontal depressions occur after a traumatic event, such as a high fever. You might even be
able to determine how long ago the event occurred by the length of the nail and the rate at which it grows.
Clubbed nails: These nails are shaped like the backside of a spoon and may indicate cardiopulmonary disease or asthma.
Spoon nails: These dip inward and could indicate certain types of anemia or injury.
Pitted nails: These punched-out-looking spots may signify psoriasis.
Anything resembling a wart around the nail: This could be a skin cancer and needs to be examined by a doctor.
Dark spot: This could be melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. If the spot “bleeds” into the cuticle or nail folds or if
you’re fair skinned, this is a serious warning sign that requires immediate medical attention.
Hang Nail: Due to the frequent exposure to water and due to the lack of vitamin B and C in the diet, a tiny dead skin lingers next to the
fingernail. Don’t pull this dead skin, trim it carefully. Apply moisturizing lotion. Consume foods rich in vitamin B such as brown rice
and green leafy vegetables and foods rich in vitamin C like citrus foods and peppers.
Natural Home Remedies for Nail Problems
A Healthy Diet: Good nutrition is the key to healthy nails
Baking soda: Clean your nails and soften cuticles by scrubbing them with a nailbrush dipped in baking soda.
Salt: Soaking painful ingrown nails in a warm saltwater solution will help ease the pain and relieve swelling. Add 1 tablespoon salt per
quart of water and soak for 30 minutes.
Vinyl gloves: Wear vinyl gloves for wet work. Exposing your hands to moisture too often, or getting your hands in harsh detergents
or chemicals, can cause brittle nails. Wearing vinyl gloves, not latex or rubber, keeps your hands dry and safe from abrasive materials.
To repel moisture even more, try sprinkling a little baby powder in your gloves, or wear a pair of cotton inserts under the gloves.
Cotton gloves: For dry work, wear cotton gloves. You’ll help protect nails from damage or possible injury.
Biotin: Although the evidence isn’t conclusive, a few small studies suggest that this B vitamin may strengthen brittle nails. Ask your
doctor about taking biotin supplements. Where to find it: brewer’s yeast, soybeans, brown rice, peanuts, eggs, fish and oats. (Also try
Vitamin E- it helps keep the nails growing long and strong.)
Sulfur: Promotes nail flexibility and makes nails less vulnerable to breakage. Where to find it: cabbage, Brussels sprouts, garlic, onions,
arugula, hot peppers, egg yolks, turnips, fish and dairy products.
Silicon: Promotes nail strength and firmness. Where to find it: onions, strawberries, whole wheat, oats, avocados, comfrey, alfalfa,
horsetail, rice and nettles.
Folic Acid: Helps maintain nail flexibility and strength. Where to find it: whole grains, broccoli, spinach, kale, legumes, berries and
citrus fruits.
Essential Fatty Acids: Make nails glossier and more flexible. Where to find them: salmon, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil and black
currant oil. Lack of zinc and essential fatty acids are the reasons your nails may be brittle or dry.
Coconut Oil: Massaging coconut oil or warm castor oil on nails to make them shine. You can also apply dry soap to your nail and
buff, or you can use lemon peel with the same result. A cotton-tipped swab moistened in hydrogen-peroxide whitens the nails.
Hydrogen-peroxide: Use to whiten nails (you can also use whitening toothpaste)
Lemons: Dip nails in 1 cup water with 1 Tbsp lemon juice before a manicure. Insert fingertips in 1/2 a lemon and twist back and
forth to clean cuticles. The lemon acts as an astringent and helps in stripping away stains.
Lip Balm: Good for moisturizing nails. Apply after washing hands for refilling lost oil.
Some Do’s and Don’ts Tips for Nail Care
- Hardeners or polishes containing formaldehyde should be avoided for their drying effect on nails.
- Removal of all nail varnish every week and allowing nails for breathing are important.
- A hand massage will boost your circulation and encourage nail growth.
- For guarding nails you should wear polish having polyester resins and use acetone – free nail polish remover.
- File in one direction only for the best results as filing back and forth frays and weakens the nails.
- Manicure soft nails just after a bath.
- Moisturize before bed and, if you can put gloves on. This will help strengthen your nails.
- Storing polish in a warm place may change its consistency. Keep nail shades in the refrigerator or a bathroom cabinet.
- You should not cut the cuticles. Doing so will only inflame the nail fold, causing it to crack and weaken the nail.
- You should not use any hard instrument to clean under the nail. But use soap and a nailbrush for it.
- Pushing the cuticles back can stimulate new growth.
Nail Biting
Nail Biting stops healthy nail growth. Nail biting can lead to many problems, including bacterial infections, permanently deformed nails
and dental problems. An emery board fixes your nails without biting them. A bitter-tasting nail cream will prevent you from biting nails
due to its bad taste.
How to stop: First, start by setting a short term goal for which you will not bite your nails. Don’t forget to give your self a reward
when you complete this goal. Rewarding will temp you to quit this habit. There are people who are found to be wearing gloves all day
long so that they can prevent themselves from biting nails. You can also try this in initial stage and then after some days check whether
you can do without the gloves also. Our mouth hates to accept things that are not liked by our taste buds. Buy a non toxic gel, lotion or
old-fashioned hot sauce to put on your finger tips. Also, remember that nail biting is a subconscious. So, every night before bed, tell
yourself that you don’t want to bite your nails anymore. Eventually, it will sink in.
Nail Fungus
In summer, nails are especially sensitive to infections. Fungi thrive on protein and love warm, damp areas, so the skin under your nails
is an ideal breeding ground. To prevent infections, keep nails dry and wear flip-flops around pools and in public bathing areas. If you
do develop a fungal infection, drinking a few drops of grapefruit seed extract added to a glass of water can help. Tea tree oil also has
anti-fungal properties and, applied directly to the nails, can kill fungi and prevent its spread to other nails.
Did You Know?? Nail Facts
- Your fingernails grow about one-eighth of an inch a month.
- Fingernails grow faster than toenails.
- Nails on the longest fingers grow the fastest.
- If you’re right-handed, nails on that hand grow faster than on your left hand; the opposite is true for lefties.
- Your fingernails will also grow faster during the summer, during pregnancy, and when they are recovering from injury.
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