People assume that their teeth will always be there, but having a long lasting smile requires a lot more effort than occasionally brushing them. Maintaining strong, healthy teeth requires consistent brushing and flossing, a good diet and regular checkups to prevent serious problems. Especially as you get older, properly caring for your teeth becomes more important. Proper dental care should be learned at an early age, but oftentimes people neglect the basics of dental care and end up requiring expensive dental treatments.

Regardless of your age, proper dental care is essential and does more than give you a nice smile. In order to prevent any dental issues before they occur, here are some helpful tips for maintaining healthy teeth:

1. Brush your teeth multiple times daily. It's best if you get yourself in a scheduled routine so you remember to do it each day, but if you forget to brush your teeth try to compensate for it by brushing them when you can. Brushing after meals will help remove the leftover food and sugars that acid producing bacteria eat and deteriorate your teeth with.

2. Your teeth can naturally "repair" themselves through a process called remineralization which helps repair the areas of your enamel which have been eroded. Fluoride treatments can help strengthen your teeth and prevent erosion.

3. Having a healthy diet which contains essential vitamins & minerals is necessary to keeping your teeth strong. Your teeth are made of calcium phosphate and eating foods rich in calcium & Vitamins can help repair them. Milk, dairy products, cheese, apples, carrots, celery & leafy vegetables all have positive effects on your oral health.

4. Avoiding foods that are high in sugar seems like a no-brainer, but eating food that contains high levels of sugar greatly increases the chances of a cavities. When you eat sugary foods, like candy, the sugar is consumed by bacteria which produces acid that decays your teeth. Brushing soon after eating foods high in sugar is the next best thing if you can’t live without your favorite candy.

5. Probably the most natural form of maintaining healthy teeth is your saliva. Eating foods that promote increased saliva output can be beneficial. Common foods that are perfect for this are lemons, limes and cranberries. These foods help your mouth produce more saliva and fight bacteria in your mouth. Drinking water regularly is also a great way to produce saliva and clear harmful bacteria out of your mouth.

While following these tips can help keep your teeth strong, it's important to get a regular dental cleaning & exam. Professionally cleaning your teeth will remove heavy plaque build up and a fluoride treatment can help strengthen your teeth. Also during a dental exam, a dentist will be able to identify and repair any problems with your mouth that might not be apparent to you.