July 6 has been deemed International Kissing Day. And whether you’re planning to pucker up in New York City or across either pond, if you want to do any serious smooching your teeth and oral health better be in tip-top shape.
Ready to date again? Boost your confidence with a smile makeover >>
The Bacteria-Laden Mouth
Everyone has dozens of bacteria strains in their mouth, adding up to billions of bacteria. Plenty of this bacteria is harmless and, in some cases, beneficial. When you kiss someone for 10 seconds, an average of 80 million bacteria are transferred from mouth to mouth. Depending on the condition of your oral health, the majority of this bacteria is healthy and natural oral flora. The bacteria that causes bad breath and an unhealthy buildup of plaque, however, leads to anything but a kissable smile.
A sweet-smelling smile can be enhanced by adopting good oral hygiene habits like:
- Brushing at least twice a day
- Flossing at least once a day
- Maintaining preventive care visits to the dentist
- Eating fiber-rich foods like crisp fruits and vegetables
- Avoid high-carb and high-sugar foods
- Drinking green tea
- Staying hydrated with water
- Chewing sugar-free gum with xylitol
These habits are not only good for your oral health, keeping cavities and tooth stains at bay and impacting the levels of healthy bacteria you have in your mouth, they also aid in digestive health.
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Kissing Is Good for You
If you’re a bachelor or bachelorette who’s looking for love, you’re hopefully doing your fair share of kissing to find Mr. or Ms. Right. Don’t let anyone fault you for the amount of kissing you undertake – the act of kissing actually stimulates saliva production, and that’s a good thing. The presence of more good saliva washes harmful bacteria from your teeth and reduces the buildup of plaque.
Besides the fact that kissing makes you happy, boosts your self-esteem, reduces blood pressure, and minimizes headaches, it can also burn a few calories and, believe it or not, improve the shape of your neck and jawline. Engaging certain facial muscles through kissing tightens and tones the face. If you’re worried about sagging jowls, however, there are cosmetic dentistry solutions that can be far more effective than kissing.
If you have any missing teeth, dental implants replace the absent tooth root, stimulating the jawbone and preventing your cheeks from drooping or your lips to curl in. Porcelain veneers are also known to bump lips out slightly because of the way they are positioned on the teeth – and that can reduce the appearance of fine lines around the mouth while also making lips look fuller.
A Kissable Future
Paris may be known for romance, but it’s hard to top Manhattan when it comes to places where kissing reigns supreme. From An Affair to Remember to the kissing post at Ellis Island to the famous photograph of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on V-J Day, the Big Apple and kissing go hand in hand. So what better place to pursue your most kissable smile than at the practice of Manhattan cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael J. Wei? Make an appointment to learn more about your smile makeover options, whether you’re getting married or just on the road to love.
