On my last trip to the dentist, my oral hygienist shared some of her tips for me to follow that I wasn’t aware of. I thought I would share them.

1. Whitening strips don’t work. The only true way to whiten your teeth is to bleach them.

2. For toothpaste all you need is the regular tartar control stuff. The other ’special’ toothpastes that claim to whiten or strengthen enamel do no good.

3. You only need to use a pea sized amount of toothpaste with each brushing. You don’t need to use the amount they show on commercials where the entire brush is engulfed in a huge wad.

4. You don’t need to change your brush too often. Manufacturers want you to change it every few weeks, but you really don’t have to until it is worn way down.

5. Listerine is not the recommended mouthwash. It has too much alcohol, which is a cheap filler. Alcohol is also the reason you feel the tingly sensation in your mouth when you use it, and that doesn’t mean it’s “actually working” like the commercials say. Look toward the bottom of the shelf at the store for the good stuff with the least alcohol content.

6. Diet soda can still be bad for your teeth and even worse than soda with sugar because of the fact that it fizzes so much.