Smile really big! Now close your mouth. Run your tongue across the front of your teeth. What do you feel? A smooth surface? Or do you feel patches of roughness, almost like bunny slippers on your teeth? What you're feeling is bacteria. And that bacteria accumulates due to lack of good hygiene, even if you religiously brush your teeth. It can make one a little nervous to smile now, eh?

So what gives?

We humans aren't the best with our teeth-- we brush them quickly and with a lot of force. We tend to eat crunchy, sticky, gummy, or downright rock-hard foods that can damage our teeth enamel. Yes, we can brush our teeth and keep them looking white, but does the surface reflect the actual health of your gums? Unfortunately, the products we use to clean our teeth may actually be making them dirtier.

As it turns out, most of the teeth cleaning products you are using are targeted at removing all bacteria-- good and bad-- leaving a lot of room for bacteria that is not targeted by the product to grow; unfortunately, the good bacteria that could battle it is the bacteria that we are killing off with harsh tooth pastes and mouth washes. So how can we replenish the good so it can fight the bad?

Probiotics!

We use these friendly little germs to combat bad germs in our microbiome, so we can totally do the same in our mouths! Some toothpastes and even mouthwashes claim to have probiotics, but since you usually rinse and spit those out, a normal probiotic supplement might be just the thing you need for a clean, healthy smile!

So next time you feel those fuzzy slippers around your teeth, don't panic! Simply brush, floss, rinse, and then take a probiotic supplement to prevent any further damages to your mouth. A healthy smile is a happy smile!