Everywhere we look now we see pearly white smiles. I find that patients are always asking me how to whiten their teeth. In fact, I think this is the most frequent question I get asked. I have put together the key points on the subject and hope that you find the following advice helpful!
►Firstly, you could try cutting back on things that stain your teeth. The most common suspects are smoking, tobacco, tea (especially black or green tea without milk), coffee, red wine or foods with a lot of food colourings.
► Secondly, cleaning your teeth well. Brushing twice a day and flossing. Plaque is yellow, so if your teeth are not clean, they look discoloured. Some stains are too tough to get off with brushing so a thorough scale and polish with the dentist may be needed to remove stubborn stains.
►You could try a whitening toothpaste. These kinds of toothpaste are more abrasive than regular toothpaste so they remove more of the surface staining of your teeth. Home remedies such as bicarbonate of soda have the same effect and remove more surface stains through abrasion.
Be careful, though, long term use of abrasives can wear away your enamel causing sensitivity and damage to your teeth.
►Getting old fillings replaced. Old fillings can become yellow or stained over time. I find quite often patients want whitening because of a dark spot on their teeth but all that is needed is to refresh an old discoloured filling.
►If you are keen to brighten your smile, you could consider professional whitening by a dentist. Usually, we will take impressions and make custom made bleach-trays. We can use these trays to either whiten your teeth in surgery or at home. Most people can whiten their teeth by two shades or more with professional whitening. You can get sensitive teeth from whitening which usually resolves within a few days once you complete whitening treatment. Your teeth can start to stain again afterwards, especially if you are still smoking or eating foods that cause staining. Although once you have the custom fit bleach trays, it is easy to top the whitening up if needed.
For further advise you can book an appointment at Ocean Breeze Dental, where we can advise what you need to brighten your smile. You can book at appointment online or ring on 52552584.
