Our teeth are important to us. Not only do they provide us with a way to eat food, but our teeth are the first thing people see when we smile. Over time, our teeth lose that healthy white color and begin to look dull and stained from the food that we eat and the beverages that we drink. If you would like to make your teeth white again, then read these teeth whitening tips.
Try not to use over-the-counter whitening products without first consulting with your dentist. A lot of the times, these products’ harsh chemicals can actually damage your teeth, far from the intended benefits. Your dentist will be able to help you determine if your tooth enamel is strong enough for OTC treatments.
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.
Rinse out your mouth with one percent hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide strips are expensive to buy and harsh on your teeth. Keep the peroxide in your mouth for at least a minute and make sure you do not swallow an excessive amount of the solution. Follow up by brushing your teeth.
Practice preventative maintenance on your teeth by using a gum massager. You want to target the area under the gum flap where the plaque begins to build up. Plaque is a major contributor to discolored teeth. When the plaque begins to build on your teeth, stains can adhere to the surface easier.
Do not use teeth bleaching or whitening kits if you are pregnant. Swallowing even a trace amount of the chemicals and ingredients in these kits is enough to potentially cause harm to the fetus. Instead make sure that you wait until after your baby is born to try a teeth whitening program.
Use a straw when drinking highly acidic beverages, such as sodas or citrus juices. Using a straw will help divert the acid away from your teeth, into your mouth, which can keep it from causing damage to your teeth. Gray teeth are often caused by thinning tooth enamel, so protecting your tooth enamel will keep your teeth whiter.
Peroxide may not taste great, but it is a great whitener for your teeth. Your dentist probably uses peroxide in many of their teeth whitening products. Peroxide can be so powerful that dentists can whiten your teeth in one visit. Keeping this in mind you should incorporate peroxide into your dental routine a couple of times a week.
Drinking through a straw can help keep your teeth white. A straw will reduce the time a beverage is in contact with your teeth, thereby limiting its ability to stain them. In fact, usually the liquid will bypass your teeth completely, instead going straight down your throat.
When using teeth whitening products and you find that your teeth are getting sensitive, discontinue the treatment right away. These products can damage your teeth if they are not used properly. Ask your dentist before you use any more products if this happens to you.
Eating cheese and other dairies is good for the enamel. Cheese is rich in calcium, which has been proven to strengthen the enamel. Healthy enamel is vital to strong, white teeth, so always include calcium as a part of your diet.
Most smokers already know that smoking leaves their teeth dull looking and discolored. Smokers will always have a much harder time in whitening their teeth than non-smokers. Stopping smoking will improve the color of your teeth drastically. Not to mention, not smoking is just better for your health.
Just as you don’t expect to have a perfect body after one day at the gym, you shouldn’t expect to have a great smile after just one attempt at whitening. It can take several treatments by either laser or whitening strips to get the smile and color that you are really looking for.
Use a little hydrogen peroxide to help keep your grin sparkling and white. Start by getting the tip of a washcloth wet with the peroxide. Then rub it on your teeth. Essentially, the peroxide attacks any stains on your teeth and lightens them while the rough texture of the washcloth scrubs away the stains at the same time.
Make sure to contact your dentist before starting to use an over the counter tooth whitening treatment. No one wants to wait for whiter teeth, but discoloration could be a sign of a more serious issue. Take the time to let your doctor rule out any issues and then whiten away.
Stay away from yellow gold jewelry if you want your teeth to look white. The color will make yellow tones in your teeth even more prominent. Instead of gold, go with silvers, diamonds, rhinestones and white gold. These colors will help accentuate the white in your teeth making your smile gleam.
Try to change your toothbrush or the head of your electric toothbrush, every two to three months, for a whiter smile. If you do not, the bacteria that is in your mouth collects on the brush and then you keep distributing that back into your mouth, every time you use it.
As stated before, our teeth are important. Our teeth allow us to eat food and give us a great smile. Our teeth become dull and stained over time from eating food and drinking beverages, making them no longer white. By using the tips on teeth whitening from the article above, you can make your teeth white again.
