If you are a little uncomfortable with your smile, if you have issues with teeth discoloration, damage, alignment, or otherwise, it can be demoralizing. It can affect how you present yourself, your relationships, your self-esteem, and more. There is always something to be done about it, but there are also barriers that stop people from giving their teeth the care they need. Here, we’re going to look at some of those barriers and how to break them.

Bad eating habits

One thing that can certainly worsen your oral health situation is how and what you eat. One of the biggest offenders here is sugar, which can be a very powerful craving indeed. Taking steps to limit your sugar intake, and to be more mindful of when and where you eat sugar, can help. If you do eat sugar, it’s a good idea to brush and rinse your teeth, even briefly, after.

Not knowing the solutions

A lot of people don’t take steps to improve their teeth and oral health simply because they’re not aware of their options. They might not be fully aware of the scope of help that a dentist can provide. Dentists can do more than cleanings, fillings, and basic repair care, they can also provide both restorative and cosmetic services. So, if you have damaged, discolored, or even missing teeth, there are always solutions to help you complete and restore your smile. You might not be able to undo all of the damage you might want to in one sitting, but you can immediately start improving things.

Lack of home care

Another great reason to start involving your dentist is to ask them questions about what you can better do to care for your teeth at home. They can recommend better toothbrushes, as well as mouthwashes and toothpaste that can help with specific issues you’re trying to address, be it discoloration, gum disease, or otherwise. If you, like a lot of people, do not like using floss or have difficulty with it, water flossers have become a lot more popular and a lot more accessible and affordable as of late, so you can take steps to ensure that you invest in caring for your teeth every single day.

Self-esteem issues

Many people who are living with long-term dental issues do experience a blow to their self-esteem as a result. It can become a vicious cycle, where people can believe there’s no point in starting because the damage is already done. However, with the help of a dentist, they can discover that cracks, discoloration, chips, and more can be fixed. Even taking the time to invest in routine care can begin to improve your self-esteem because once you start working on yourself, you begin to feel that working on yourself is worth the effort.

Even if you’re dealing with multiple of these issues at once, that doesn’t mean that the problem is in any way insurmountable. Whatever you do to start taking better care of your teeth now is a step in the right direction, no matter your circumstances.