You may think that your teeth become stained only if you consume dark beverages, such as coffee or red wine, but the fact is that there are many culprits that contribute to the yellowing or dulling of your teeth over time. Some things may have more of an impact on how stained or yellow your teeth may be, but it is difficult to avoid staining agents all together. So, if that’s the case, what do you do? We’ve included a few “secrets” you can use to enjoy a brighter, whiter and more beautiful smile.
Identifying staining agents
As we just mentioned, a food or drink doesn’t have to be dark in order to stain your teeth. Any food or beverage that is acidic or contains tannins can dull the finish on your teeth. This includes drinks such as sports drinks, sodas, tea and juices, in addition to wine and coffee, as well as foods such as tomatoes, berries, yogurt or soy sauce. While you may not be able to avoid these foods and beverages all together, you should take extra precautions to keep teeth bright when consuming these dulling culprits.
The power of water
It makes sense that brushing and flossing your teeth well each day will lead to brighter teeth, but one way to better ensure that any potential staining agents sit on your teeth too long is to swish your mouth with water after every few bites or sips that you take. This will prevent any dulling culprits from remaining in contact with your teeth’s surfaces for extended periods. In addition to swishing with water between bites and sips, you should also rinse your mouth with water again when you are finished eating or drinking. And of course, you should include rinsing as part of your oral hygiene routine each day along with brushing and flossing.
Give your teeth a scrub
Another way to protect your teeth after eating or drinking if you can’t brush or floss is by eating crunchy fruits and veges or chewing sugarless gum. Eating hard fruits and veges give your teeth a bit of a scrub, helping to remove or loosen particles and bacteria from the food you just ate. Chewing gum gets the saliva in your mouth flowing, which can wash away acids in your mouth that form from the breakdown of food and sit on your teeth. Saliva also has enamel-protecting calcium and phosphate.
Nothing beats proper brushing and flossing
There is no substitute for routine and proper brushing and flossing. Sticking to a regular routine of brushing at least twice a day and flossing daily at a minimum will help to keep teeth brighter and whiter. If possible, brush teeth after each meal to remove any bacteria, plaque and stains more quickly so they have less time to negatively impact teeth.
At-home whitening agents
Whitening toothpastes are abrasive cleaners that help to remove stains and polish teeth more effectively than non-whitening toothpastes. Some brands may also contain mild bleaching agents, although they will not provide the type of whitening strength or impact that you can get from dental whitening kits or laser teeth whitening from your dentist. Over the counter whitening gels and rinses, as well as whitening strips and trays, can provide varying levels of whitening effectiveness and will mildly whiten teeth for a period of up to 6-12 months.
Laser teeth whitening
One of the most dramatic whitening options is laser teeth whitening. Performed in the dentist’s office in under an hour, laser teeth whitening can have dramatic and lasting results that are far more noticeable than at-home whitening agents. Along with the more dramatic results, however, comes a more dramatic price tag.
Porcelain veneers
If you want to be able to pick the exact shade of white that you would like your teeth to be, you can do so with the application of porcelain veneers. This cosmetic dentistry option involves adhering very thin layers of porcelain to the exterior surface of the tooth to provide brighter, whiter, straighter and more beautiful teeth. This option can be the most dramatic by far, even more so than laser teeth whitening, but requires natural teeth to be etched in order for the porcelain veneers to be bonded to the tooth, so it is a permanent solution that may need to be repeated after a number of years to maintain results.
For more information about cosmetic teeth whitening procedures such as laser teeth whitening or porcelain veneers, or to speak with a dentist about other tooth whitening options, contact Park Dental Care in Queens at 718-274-1515.
