We’ve all been there and had an impromptu sleepover or gone for a weekend away and forgotten to pack our toothbrush. The problem is, by the time you realise you need a one, the shops are often closed. And there’s nothing worse than going to bed or waking up in the morning with that horrible, furry teeth feeling. With this in mind and with the help of leading celebrity dentist Dr Richard Marques, known by the industry as the ‘King Of Smiles’, here’s 10 IDEAL ways to clean your teeth without a toothbrush.
FRESH WATER
The simplest thing to do for a quick clean is swish some fresh water around your mouth and spit it out. This will loosen up surface debris on the teeth reducing the build-up of plaque
PAPER TOWEL
Wrap a piece of paper towel or clean cloth around your finger, dampen with water and rub along your teeth. If you have toothpaste or mouthwash, add a drop of that too!
KEEP SOME SUGAR-FREE GUM HANDY
Chew some sugar-free gum to help stimulate the production of saliva in the mouth. This will help to neutralise acids and freshen your breath.
AVOID CONSUMING SUGAR
Avoid consuming anything with sugar as it feeds on the bacteria in your mouth and turns acidic. These acids can eat away at tooth enamel and lead to more long-term problems
RAID THE KITCHEN CUPBOARD
Mix a small amount of baking soda with water and rub gently on your teeth. This will help remove surface stains, whitening the teeth and removing excess food particles
USE DENTAL FLOSS
Use dental floss or interdental sticks to remove any food debris trapped between the teeth. Rinse thoroughly with water afterwards for maximum effect
SNACK ON SOME VEG
Snack on some crunchy vegetables such as celery or cucumber to help gently budge plaque from teeth and remove the bacteria that causes bad odours
COCONUT OIL SWILL
Swill a teaspoon of coconut oil round your mouth for at least 15 minutes. Oil pulling helps lift toxins from the mouth and whiten teeth at the same time!
EAT SOME HARD CHEESE
Hard cheeses actually contain enzymes that neutralise odour-causing bacteria, so eating a small cube will lessen the spread of bacteria in your mouth
SWISH A NON-ALCHOLIC MOUTHWASH
Swish a non-alcoholic mouthwash round your mouth for 30 seconds and gargle for a further 30 seconds to get rid of bacteria at the back of the throat
