Simple Steps to Keep Teeth White

If you go to the trouble and expense of whitening your teeth, then you are sure to want to keep them that way.  There are several simple things you can do to keep your teeth white and beautiful. 

What to Avoid

Caffeine, cola, tea, and red wine discolor your teeth.  Therefore, you need to avoid them or at least minimize how much of these you drink if you’re serious about keeping your teeth white.  The difficulty many of us have, is that we genuinely enjoy these drinks and don’t want to give them up.  So, the next best thing is making sure you drink water afterwards.   Make sure that the water has washed all the tea, coffee or cola from your teeth when you’ve finished enjoying it. 

Smoking is a habit which makes keeping teeth white virtually impossible.  Nicotine is well known for yellow staining, and smoking should be avoided if you want to keep your teeth white. 

What you Must Do

An obvious way of keeping your teeth white after whitening treatment is regular brushing.  There are whitening toothpastes that can be used which will help keep your teeth looking good.  When possible, teeth should be brushed after eating.  At the very least, your teeth need to be brushed twice a day.  Between brushing, rinsing your mouth out with water is the next best thing. 

Follow-Up Treatment

Follow-up at-home teeth whitening treatments are also an option  to keeping your teeth looking good.  How often you need to do these treatments will depend on how well you follow the above advice.  Keep in mind that prevention is always better than cure, both in time and money. 

Protect Your Investment

Basically, it’s important to protect your investment.  Whether you’ve spent substantial money at the dentist, or your own time at home whitening your teeth, you want the effect to last.  Following the simple steps above will help you get lasting results.

Why do Teeth Get Discolored?

While the enamel of your teeth appears smooth, it actually isn’t.  Viewed under a microscope, the surface of your teeth has a honeycombed appearance.  Teeth are covered in tiny tube-like structures, which over time absorb the stains in the food and drink we consume.  This results in discoloring of our teeth that no amount of brushing can remove.   Teeth whitening has become increasingly popular over recent years to reverse this natural process. 

How does Teeth Whitening Work?

The original teeth whiteners were abrasive.  These did damage the enamel of teeth, just as any type of cleaner that is an abrasive removes the top layer of a surface in order to clean it.  The teeth whitening agents used today are chemicals.  They react with the stains in our teeth, and do not erode the enamel.  So, using today’s teeth whitening systems, as long as they are used correctly, is not going to damage the enamel of our teeth. 

Tooth Sensitivity

One of the things that has caused people to question the safety of getting your teeth whitened, is the fact that teeth whitening can temporarily increase teeth sensitivity.  This happens because the bleaching chemicals used to whiten teeth open up the tiny tube structures in the tooth enamel in order to react with the stains.  For the time that these tubes are open, which is during and for up to a couple of weeks after whitening, your teeth will be more sensitive.  This is temporary, and the degree of sensitivity varies from person to person.

So it’s safe to go ahead with whitening your teeth, you’ll just need to choose which method is right for you, and accept the fact that for some people, a temporary increase in tooth sensitivity is a side effect of achieving white teeth. 

A Caution about Home Remedies

Many of the products suggested as home remedies for teeth whitening such as oranges, strawberries, and lemons, are acids.  Therefore, they are going to eat into the enamel of your teeth if not used in the right way.  Since it is very difficult to know for certain the right quantities of these ingredients to use, caution is advised before attempting to whiten your teeth in this way. 

Hydrogen peroxide is another ingredient recommended for teeth whitening at home.  It is an ingredient that is found in many over the counter products, and also one that dentists use.  The problem again lies in knowing the strength to safely use, and how long to leave it on your teeth. 

Over the Counter Options

The other options available to you to whiten your teeth at home are in the form of gels, strips and trays.  All of these use chemicals which have been tested to react with the stains within the enamel of your teeth.  They do not attack the enamel, just the stains.  These products are already prepared in the right strength and give you written instructions to follow, so they are definitely a safer option than mixing up something for yourself at home. 

There are also whitening toothpastes, of course.  They work to differing degrees for different people.  They are certainly a good option for keeping your teeth white between whitening sessions. 

Be Careful

Be careful about what you use to whiten your teeth.  A beautiful smile is a very valuable asset, but it is not worth creating long term damage to your teeth, afterall, you need your teeth to last a lifetime. 

Is Whitening Your Teeth Harming Your Gums?

There are various ways to have your teeth whitened, either using at home treatments or by a dentist.  It is important to make sure you understand the procedure correctly and get all your questions answered before going ahead.  If you are doing the treatment yourself at home, make sure you follow the instructions to avoid unnecessary problems, including damage to your gums.

If you get your teeth whitened by a dentist, the chemicals used for the procedure will be stronger than those you can purchase for at home treatments.  The strength of the professionally used stain remover does increase the possibility of sensitivity of both teeth and gums during the procedure.  Make sure you let your dentist know if you have sensitive teeth so that you get the best treatment for you. 

Teeth Sensitivity

When whitening your teeth at home, only apply the product as directed.  If your teeth or gums become oversensitive, you will need to apply the treatment less frequently.  Teeth whitening today is a safe procedure.  There are no abrasives used in the products, only chemicals which react with the actual stains on the teeth. 

Some people have gums which are more sensitive to teeth whitening agents, but usually this only occurs if the product is being used too often.   Spacing the frequency of the whitening applications should solve this problem. 

When done correctly, teeth whitening does not cause damage to gums.  Do your research, decide which teeth whitening procedure is best for you, and follow the directions carefully.  You will have a beautifully white smile and healthy gums as well.

You could purchase the treatment that uses the most persuasive sales pitch, or has the most convincing before and after photos, or, you can do some basic research for yourself and decide what is best for you.  Lets have a look at what you need to look for to get the best teeth whitening results.

How Much Does it Cost?

Cost is one of the main considerations for many people.  Cosmetic dentistry is the most expensive option for whitening your teeth.  Some would conclude that because it is the most expensive it must be the best, but it is possible to get very good results with teeth whitening at home treatments as well.  If you prefer to have someone do the treatment for you, and you have the time and money to spare, then cosmetic dentistry may be the choice for you.

How Much Time Does It Take?

If you are looking for a treatment that is more time effective, then a home teeth whitening kit could be more suitable.  You have the options of trays using gel, strips and solutions applied with tips.  All of these can be done at home while you are doing other things, so it is definitely a good option if you need to get your teeth whitened around your other responsibilities.

What Results Are Others Getting?

As far as getting the best teeth whitening results is concerned, look for testimonies from people who have already used the treatment you are considering.  Happy customers are the best form of advertising, and you are going to feel much more confident using a product that others have also used successfully. 

Follow the Instructions

Remember, to get optimal results, you need to follow the directions.  Whether they are the instructions of your dentist for care of your teeth after teeth whitening, or the directions on the over the counter teeth whitening kit you have purchased, you need to follow the instructions.  You won’t get optimal results if you don’t.

So, the answer to what teeth whitening technique gets the best results is:  probably most of them, as long as you are comfortable with the cost involved and follow the instructions, you will get a whiter smile.