A healthy white smile is an asset that brightens up your face and makes you appear more attractive. When your teeth look good, you typically enjoy higher self-esteem and feel more comfortable smiling, too. To keep your teeth looking white, maintain a good oral care routine and avoid foods that stain the teeth. If you’re interested in tooth-whitening, read on to learn about your options.
Keeping Your Teeth White and Bright
In terms of at-home care, there are two main ways to keep your teeth white: a good oral care routine and avoiding foods and habits that stain your teeth.
Twice-daily brushing is important because it removes food and plaque that contributes to staining. It’s also important for keeping your teeth and gums healthy as well as looking good.
Another major culprit for staining teeth is tobacco products, as the nicotine in tobacco stains the teeth heavily over time. If you’re a smoker you may already know how hard it is to prevent tooth straining, and this is another great reason to consider cutting down or quitting.
Finally, there are foods and beverages that cause staining: tea and coffee, red wine, and sports drinks, and foods such as balsamic vinegar, curry spices, berries, hard candies, and even tomato-based sauces. While for some foods it’s the strong pigments that cause staining, in the case of vinegar and tomato, it’s the acidic content that is the main problem.
Options for Whitening Your Smile
If you're thinking about whitening your teeth, you have two main options: over-the-counter products from a pharmacy or professional whitening from your dentist. Both options have benefits and drawbacks, so make sure you know what to expect before making a choice.
Over-the-counter products
Over-the-counter whitening products are inexpensive and easy to find at your local pharmacy, but have some disadvantages. They're often difficult to apply, as it involves mixing a whitening solution from supplied ingredients and applying it to mouth trays that are worn over teeth. Trays can leak and expose the gums to harsh bleaching chemicals.
One of the biggest problems with these products is that over-the-counter whiteners aren't regulated. This means that there's a huge variety in terms of product strength, so it's not always easy to know what you're buying.
Professional whitening
Your dentist can provide a superior whitening result for a number of reasons. The main reason is simply that professional whitening products are much higher quality, and your dentist can carefully control how much product they use, to give you the best possible result. They can also ensure your gums aren't exposed to bleaching solution while using products that minimize the risk of causing pain to sensitive teeth.
Professional whitening is also much faster: a single hour-long treatment can lighten your teeth by several shades, whereas with over-the-counter products it can take weeks to achieve such a result.
Whitening can Give Your Smile a Lift
Even with the best of intentions—and with good oral health care habits—teeth get stained. It's hard to give up beverages such as coffee and other foods and habits that stain teeth, so it's good to know that there are ways to improve their color. If you'd like to whiten your teeth, talk to your dentist about your options.