The global market for cosmetic teeth whitening is growing, and more people are using dental services and at-home teeth whitening to achieve that "celebrity-like" smile. After working hard and investing your money to achieve your pearly whites and confident smile, you want it to remain like that forever.
For that to be possible, you should be ready to take proactive approaches in caring for your gums and teeth to maintain that new, bright smile intact. A bright smile is almost everyone's goal and a great way to boost your self-esteem and confidence. However, do you achieve and keep your teeth pearly white?
While teeth staining and discoloration are common issues many experience at some point in life, avoiding or reversing them for the charming smile you deserve is possible. The following tips can help keep your teeth pearly white for the dazzling smile you deserve to face the world confidently throughout your lifetime.
Floss and Brush Your Teeth Regularly
Do not underestimate the value of tooth brushing if you want to keep your teeth looking white and healthy. Regular dental and oral hygiene practices are essential to maintaining the brightness of your teeth. Most dentists recommend brushing your teeth after every meal or twice daily to help remove stains and plaque buildup from the enamel of your teeth.
Ensure the toothbrush you purchase can address the specific teeth and oral health issues you have to maintain your dental health. For example, if you have sensitive teeth, using a soft-bristled toothbrush is advisable because a hard-bristled toothbrush could make the sensitivity worse. To clean your teeth effectively, you should brush your teeth for at least two (2) minutes.
Most dentists recommend brushing with fluoridated toothpaste because this mineral helps strengthen teeth' enamel, keeping cavities at bay.
In addition to brushing your teeth, dental flossing can remove discolorations and plaque buildup between your teeth and gums, reducing your chances of developing cavities or gum disease. Since dental floss can irritate your teeth or cut your gums, be careful not to push it any farther than it can go when flossing your teeth.
Reduce Your Consumption of Certain Foods and Drinks That Can Discolor Your Teeth
The first step to keeping your teeth white is to reduce the consumption of foods and beverages that can cause stains, including red wine and coffee. Whenever you choose to indulge in a staining beverage, like red wine, to quench your craving, using a straw can help prevent the drink from interacting with your perfectly white teeth and preserve the aesthetic appeal of your smile.
Some foods, especially fruits like strawberries, cranberries, and blueberries, can also stain teeth. To prevent these stains from setting in, brush your teeth within an hour or so after consuming or drinking stain-causing foods.
Tobacco is another substance that can reverse your efforts to keep your teeth dazzling and bright. If you are serious about keeping your teeth white and healthy, quitting the habit of smoking cigarettes or using any other tobacco products is the best place to start.
Reduce Your Consumption of Sugary Drinks
Reducing consumption or skipping sugary drinks can also help keep teeth bright and healthy. Sugar is a great food source for cavity-causing bacteria that thrive on the brownish or yellowish biofilm, plaque buildup, that sticks to the surface of teeth.
Aside from being an excellent breeding environment for harmful bacteria in your mouth, plaque buildup on the surface of your teeth also affects your smile’s aesthetic appearance and increases your chances of developing cavities.
Frequent snacking on sugary foods and beverages increases the time your teeth will remain exposed to cavity-causing acidic secretions released by these harmful bacteria once they feast on them. This is especially true if you are eating sticky food, which is more likely to adhere to and stick to the surface of your teeth.
In addition to being sweet, some beverages, like soda and energy drinks, are acidic, which can erode your teeth’ enamel, leading to cavities. According to a study, cutting back on sugar by less than ten (10) percent of your daily calories can help reduce your chances of developing tooth decay.
Eat Food Rich in Calcium
You cannot expect to maintain your bright smile if the enamel is weak and unprotected. Sometimes, teeth discoloration occurs when acidic secretions released by mouth bacteria and acids from your food erode your tooth enamel, exposing the dentin (the yellowish layer beneath the enamel).
Therefore, any step to strengthen your teeth’ enamel is crucial to keeping your teeth bright and healthy, including eating foods rich in calcium, like cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products. Other foods that can help strengthen your teeth' enamel and keep them pearly white include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Walnuts, peanuts, almonds and nuts.
- Lean meat.
- Foods rich in omega-3, like tuna and salmon.
- Fluoridated water.
Eat Crunchy Vegetables and Fruits
Aside from being a great source of nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, crunchy vegetables can also help keep your teeth white. While they are not substitutes or alternatives for brushing your teeth, crunchy vegetables like celery and vegetables can help scrub your teeth as you chew to remove plaque buildup and other discolorations, affecting the aesthetic appearance of your smile.
Aside from providing you with vital minerals like magnesium and calcium, crunchy fruits like strawberries contain malic acid, which helps remove discolorations and stains from the surface of your teeth. However, remember that after eating this fruit, you should rinse your mouth thoroughly with water to remove any residual sugars from your teeth and mouth.
Consuming crunchy fruits and vegetables also encourages your salivary glands to produce enough saliva, which keeps your teeth healthy and bright by removing food particles, sugars, and acids from your mouth after meals.
Add Bits of Baking Soda to Your Weekly Teeth Brushing Routine
Baking soda is a reliable and effective alternative to modern-day toothpaste. Its abrasive properties help scrub plaque off teeth, providing a natural way to keep teeth pearly white.
Furthermore, baking soda also lowers acidity in your mouth, lessening the risks of teeth erosion, gum disease, and cavities, which can significantly impact the aesthetic appearance of your smile. Adding baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to your weekly teeth brushing routine can help you maintain a bright smile. Here are the steps for preparing baking soda paste for whitening your teeth:
- Buy baking soda from a nearby shop or store.
- Mix one tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate with two tablespoons of water.
- Put a little paste on your toothbrush and then clean your teeth as you would with conventional toothpaste.
- Repeat the procedure a few more times daily for the best results.
To help achieve and maintain the bright smile you deserve, you should also consider purchasing toothpaste containing baking soda as one of the ingredients.
Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Brush Your Teeth
Like baking soda, hydrogen peroxide can help whiten teeth as a mouthwash because of its bleaching properties. Additionally, hydrogen peroxide can kill bacteria in your mouth, reducing the chances of developing dental and oral health problems like cavities, which can negatively affect the aesthetic appearance of your smile.
No wonder many teeth whitening products and toothpaste contain hydrogen peroxide. According to a study, toothpaste containing hydrogen peroxide is more effective than other conventional types of toothpaste in reducing teeth staining and discolorations caused by staining drinks like coffee.
Practice Oil Pulling
Oil pulling with coconut oil is becoming popular to keep teeth pearly white and healthy. Oil pulling is an ancient Indian practice that can help keep teeth white and boost oral health.
Generally speaking, the oil-pulling practice involves swishing oil around your mouth and between your teeth, like mouthwash. The main advantage of this practice is that it helps kill harmful bacteria (Streptococcus mutans) in your mouth, which, when left unchecked, can cause cavities and other oral health issues that affect your smile’s aesthetic appearance.
While any oil can be used for this practice, most people prefer coconut oil for its pleasant taste. Additionally, coconut oil contains high levels of lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties that keep harmful bacteria at bay.
Schedule Frequent Appointments With Your Dentist
You cannot overlook the importance of scheduling frequent appointments with your dentist for exams and check-ups to keep your teeth bright and healthy. Routine dental appointments allow your dentist to examine your teeth and the entire mouth to determine whether you are at risk of cavities or other oral health issues that can reverse your efforts to keep your teeth pearly white.
During your routine dental check-ups, your dentist can also recommend cosmetic dental treatments that can help whiten your teeth or maintain your smile’s aesthetic appearance, such as:
- Tooth contouring — During this procedure, your dentist will remove tiny pieces of your enamel to alter the shape of your teeth for an improved smile appearance.
- Dental bonding — This cosmetic procedure involves the application of tooth-colored composite resin on the surface of your tooth (enamel) to conceal craze lines, cracks, stains, and other cosmetic imperfections.
- Teeth whitening — Professional in-office teeth whitening involves the application of teeth whitening gel (hydrogen peroxide) on the surface of the stained tooth to improve its aesthetic appearance. Depending on the number of affected teeth, this procedure could take less than an hour.
- Porcelain veneers — Porcelain or ceramic-made veneers are thin shells that your dentist fixes on the front surface of your teeth to mask or conceal your cosmetic flaws like chips, cracks, stains, and discolorations. In most cases, you will need to replace your porcelain veneer after about ten (10) years.
- Dental implants — If you have a missing tooth, your dentist could recommend a dental implant. A dental implant is a small titanium screw your dentist surgically places on your jawbone at the site of the missing tooth to act as a root for a temporary tooth (crown). Once installed, a dental implant can help fill the gap between your teeth, restoring the aesthetic appearance of your smile.
Other Home-based Teeth Whitening Methods You Can Try to Keep Your Teeth Bright
Although there is no scientific research or evidence to prove the following methods are effective and safe, they can help keep your teeth pearly white for the charming smile you deserve:
- Using activated charcoal to brush your teeth.
- Using apple cider vinegar to brush your teeth.
- Scrubbing your teeth using lemon or orange peels.
Advocates of these natural teeth-whitening remedies claim that they can help keep your teeth whiter, even though no scientific study is available to prove it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Teeth Whitening
Below are common and frequent questions about teeth whitening that many people ask before making any decision that could affect the aesthetic appearance of their smile:
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What are the Common Causes of Yellowish Teeth?
Several factors can make your teeth discolored and lose their white sparkle that makes your smile bright, including:
- Certain foods, like cranberries and strawberries.
- Plaque buildup.
- Smoking cigarette.
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Which are the Best Teeth Whitening Processes?
The best method to whiten your teeth depends on several factors, including your budget, personal goals, and preferences. Most methods listed above can help whiten teeth, including consuming a healthy diet, oil pulling, and hydrogen peroxide. If you want to whiten your teeth for an improved smile appearance, you should consult a dentist to know your options.
Find a Reliable Cosmetic Dentist Near Me
Keeping your teeth white should not be challenging as long as you follow your dentist’s instructions and guidance. Although the above mentioned procedures can help keep your teeth healthy and bright, if the issue persists, you should consult your cosmetic dentist to explore other treatment options.
At La Puente Advanced Dentistry, we are here to help you achieve the smile of your dreams by keeping your teeth pearly white. If you have discolored teeth or want to learn more about how you can keep your or your loved one’s teeth bright, our reliable team of cosmetic dentists can help.
Call us at 626-626-7075 to schedule your initial appointment with us today, and we will help you maintain that dazzling smile.
