“Health is really the foundation of all beauty, so a healthy smile usually leads to a beautiful smile, not the other way around,” says Weitzman. However, prioritizing oral care will ultimately lead to stronger, healthier, and a whiter smile with age.

“Make sure you brush your teeth twice a day with an ultrasonic toothbrush, floss, tongue scraping, using [gentle] mouthwash and moisturizer to support a healthy oral microbiome,” she notes. “All of these will keep your smile healthy and even help preserve its whiteness.”

You see, strengthening natural tooth enamel can not only get rid of stains, but also prevent their appearance. And when your teeth and gums are healthier, they look a lot less dull and dirty.

A quick note about mouthwash: Traditional antiseptic mouthwashes are incredibly antibacterial, which means they sweep away all the bacteria — good and bad – to give you a feeling of freshness, mint. The oral microbiome needs a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria, so experts advise avoiding frequent spraying of antiseptic agents. This doesn’t mean you can’t use traditional mouthwash at all (for example, some may need to swish for medical reasons). Just try to limit your use, and perhaps choose a non-antiseptic mouthwash that is gentle enough on the oral microbiome. (Find our recommendations here.)