The prospect of teeth whitening can feel overwhelming to many people. You need to be properly informed before you decide how to make your teeth as white as they can ever be. By learning about teeth whitening, you are giving yourself the knowledge that leads to seeing the results you want. Read on to find out how to start whitening your teeth.
If you’re a pregnant or lactating mother, you should not undergo any teeth whitening procedure. It can have many negative effects on the baby. Before having your teeth whitened, you should consult with your dentist and let them know up front if you’re pregnant or lactating. They’ll be able to say for sure whether it’s a danger to the baby or not.
When drinking coffee, tea, sodas or dark wines, try to sip water along with them. Those kinds of drinks are known to cause stains quickly, especially when consumed regularly. Drinking water afterward will help you keep your mouth as clean as possible. Brushing after drinking these beverages will also help with stain prevention.
Do not discount the basic teeth whitening power of baking soda. This product has been used by many people for many years as an easy inexpensive way to whiten teeth. It is important to mix the baking soda with salt to increase abrasion. Using this 2-3 times a week will quickly show results. Always brush normally after treating.
Be sure to brush your teeth at least twice a day. Regular brushing helps to prevent plaque build up, because this can result in permanent discoloration of your teeth. Once it builds up, it is difficult to remove without the assistance of a dentist, so it’s better to avoid the problem in the first place.
Once you go through the teeth whitening treatment, you are going to want to avoid drinking things or eating foods that are known to stain teeth. Newly whitened teeth are prone to absorbing the staining agents that are in these things and you may find yourself worse off than before you treated your teeth.
If your teeth are extremely discolored, find a treatment that is appropriate. Most products are designed to remove stains and clean the enamel, but if your enamel needs to be rebuilt, no teeth whitening product can help you. It could take multiple treatments to whiten teeth that are extremely discolored.
Regular cleanings are effective in maintaining a white smile. Professional cleaning can remove a great deal of the built up tartar and stains that naturally develop over time. This is done primarily to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Teeth whitening is an added benefit that helps your appearance.
Eating an apple can give your teeth the illusion of being whiter than they actually are. Like some other types of crunchy food, apples are mildly abrasive, so they rapidly deep clean your teeth without harming the enamel in any way.
When trying to whiten your teeth, use toothpaste specifically made for teeth whitening. These toothpastes use peroxides that act as a bleaching agent for your teeth. Be sure to look at the amount of peroxide in the toothpaste, typically the concentration is between ten and twenty percent. Choose a product in the middle, and if your teeth tolerate the toothpaste (and you want more effective whitening), move up to a toothpaste with 20% peroxide.
Another great way to keep your teeth looking good is to start drinking all of your fluids through a straw. This minimizes contact with your teeth, which helps to minimize the discoloration of your teeth caused by drinking colored fluids. This is an easy way to avoid discoloration.
If you’re considering having your teeth whitened, talk to your dentist first. While some stains and discoloration are easily treated by bleaching, others won’t respond as well. Bleaching also won’t work if you have caps, crowns, or similar types of dental work. Discussing teeth whitening with your dentist will prepare you for potential problems and help you figure out the best way to treat your teeth.
You should realize that when you whiten your teeth, your crowns will not change color the way your teeth will. If you use a whitening technique on your teeth but your crowns which are not whitened show, people will see some of your teeth as white and some discolored, giving an odd effect. If you are faced with this situation, speak with your doctor for alternative options to maximize the white in your smile.
It is very easy to become “addicted” to whitening your teeth. Overuse of whitening products, especially those with bleach, can have an adverse effect on your teeth and gums. Once you have reached your white level, continue with touch-ups once a month. Multiple bleaching treatments should only be done once or twice a year.
Use a whitening floss to help whiten the area in between your teeth. Most don’t notice that we do get stains in between our teeth as well as on the front. The use of whitening floss will help remove those stains. Flossing regularly will also help your gums get healthier which will contribute to your beautiful smile.
As the famous saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. This includes dentists. Apples are crisp and smooth when you bite into them and biting an apple actually cleans your teeth. Apples also contain properties that can kill most of the bacteria that sits on your teeth.
Now that you have some new strategies for how you’re going to whiten your teeth you should already start feeling positive. Remember that all that you learned here isn’t everything there is to know about how to whiten your teeth, so try your best to always seek new knowledge and to apply it whenever possible.
