With time, teeth can become stained due to factors like diet, age, oral health practices, and lifestyle habits. Even if your teeth have not discolored, if you have had specific cosmetic treatment, maintaining beautiful, healthy, and pearly white teeth is a priority and requires dedication. Keeping the teeth clean, white, and healthy improves oral and general health and boosts self-esteem and confidence. So, how do you realize your dental goals of maintaining white, healthy teeth?
Brush Your Teeth Twice Daily
Brushing removes bacteria, plaque, tartar, and staining agents from your teeth’s surfaces before they settle in.
Here are tips on how to brush effectively:
- Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush. The right brush cleans more effectively. Go for the shape and size that will enable you to reach even your rear teeth. Since there is a wide variety of toothbrushes, you can ask your dentist to guide you when choosing the best toothbrush.
- Position the brush at a 45-degree angle to your teeth. Move the bristles to where your teeth and gums meet. Move the brush gently in a circular motion, upwards and downwards. Avoid brushing aggressively; it can result in receding gums.
- Clean all of your teeth’s surfaces, including the tongue and chewing areas.
- Do not rush the brushing. A comprehensive brushing should be at least two to three minutes. You can use a timer.
- Change your usual brushing technique. Most individuals brush their teeth in the same pattern all the time. Consequently, they miss certain spots repeatedly.
- Remember to complement your dental hygiene by using mouthwash or interdental brushes to get rid of food debris and other staining agents in difficult-to-reach places.
Foods and Beverages that Keep Your Teeth Healthy and White
These foods and drinks include the following:
- Cheese — Cheese is loaded with calcium, protein and phosphorus, which buffer mouth acids. Calcium and phosphorus also assist in remineralizing and repairing your teeth. However, you should opt for low-fat cheese.
- Pineapples — Pineapples contain bromelain, which works as a natural stain remover. It breaks up plaque, the sticky bacterial substance on your teeth.
- Strawberries — A vital component of strawberries is malic acid, a natural astringent that prevents the tooth surfaces from discoloration. You can eat strawberries in desserts, salads, or cereals.
- Apples — The crunchiness in apples acts as a natural abrasive scrub, cleaning your teeth as you bite into them. Apples are also rich in malic acid, which can be found in toothpaste. The malic acid promotes saliva production, which removes and prevents tooth stains as you brush your teeth.
- Celery — Celery is crunchy and promotes saliva generation, preventing plaque buildup and stains from sticking onto your teeth.
- Nuts and Seeds — Seeds and nuts function as your teeth’s exfoliants. You can try to strip stains from your teeth’s enamel with the abrasive texture of cashews, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds. Seeds and nuts are also rich in calcium, which helps strengthen teeth and bones.
- Drinking plenty of water — Water is a natural that rinses away staining agents before they stick to your teeth enamel. It also neutralizes acidic and sugary drinks that can erode the enamel, making your teeth more vulnerable to staining. Finally, drinking water keeps your mouth hydrated and increases saliva production, contributing to proper oral hygiene and lowering the chances of tooth discoloration.
Some of the tooth-staining foods and beverages to avoid include the following:
- Cola
- Coffee
- Tea
- Red wine
- Tomato-base sauces
- Curry
- Balsamic vinegar
- Berries
- Beetroot
- Soy sauce
Use Fluoride Toothpaste
There are different types of toothpaste available in the market. Select one with fluoride. Fluoride remineralizes and strengthens your enamel with every use. Before purchasing toothpaste, look for the ADA seal of approval. The seal guarantees that dental experts have thoroughly tested and approved the product for safety and effectiveness.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral. In small quantities, it prevents tooth decay, while in large quantities, it can cause tooth discoloration among other health issues. Regarding the appropriate amount of fluoride you require, it is about balance.
Drink Using a Straw
If you love drinking cola, tea, coffee, and red wine, you might have noticed that after some time, your teeth lose their glowing appearance; these beverages stain teeth. If you seek to maintain your teeth’s brightness, start by reducing the consumption of these beverages. If you cannot entirely cut down on these beverages, consider drinking them using a straw.
Drinking dark-colored and acidic beverages using a straw reduces contact with your front teeth, especially if you place the straw past the front teeth. That way, it prevents staining your front teeth. However, when you sip these drinks from a glass, they coat all your teeth.
Chewing Whitening Gum
You can find these whitening chewing gums in your local store. You can chew the gum after eating to remove food debris that could stain the teeth by stimulating salivary flow. The whitening ingredients also coat the teeth, preventing future staining.
Additionally, teeth whitening treatment increases teeth sensitivity, and chewing gum can assist with that.
Stop Smoking
The relationship between dental health and smoking is directly proportional. The chemicals in the smoke, including nicotine and tar, can adhere to and discolor the surfaces of your teeth. Over time, the yellow-brownish coloration called tobacco staining around your teeth affects the dentin and enamel.
Smoking also reduces saliva production, reducing cleansing action in the mouth and resulting in further accumulation of stain-causing molecules that stick to your teeth.
How to Quit Smoking
It is challenging to stop smoking on your initial attempt and more difficult if you attempt to do it without assistance. You have an increased chance of avoiding smoking relapse if you have assistance and make plans. Here are ways to resist your urge to use tobacco or smoke:
- Use the most appropriate nicotine replacement therapy
- Know what triggers the urge to smoke and make plans
- Find distractions
- Replace tobacco with a mint, a healthy snack, or gum
- Engage in physical activity to manage your craving for smoking and mood
- Find a support system to assist you in resisting the craving.
Will My Teeth Whiten After I Quit Smoking?
Although quitting smoking and other tobacco products will stop further staining, it will not make your teeth white and healthy. You will require professional whitening products to remove the existing staining caused by smoking.
Making Regular Dental Visits
After tooth whitening, you would wish your teeth remained white and beautiful. Nevertheless, that is not the case. Over time, beverages, foods, and lifestyle habits like smoking can gradually stain your teeth again. That is why routine dental appointments are significant. During the visits, your dentist will monitor how your teeth are progressing and offer advice to maintain the results. Additionally, they will check for any issues like sensitivity stemming from teeth whitening.
Occasionally, teeth lose their white color because of issues like cavities, gum disease, or enamel wear. It can result in discoloration or yellowing that teeth whitening treatment cannot rectify effectively. With regular dental appointments, your dentist can catch any issue early before it worsens, requiring more expensive and complicated dental work. Your physician will offer treatment that stops further damage and keeps your teeth white, healthy, and strong.
Even if you floss and brush daily, it is hard to remove all the tartar and plaque that cause staining on your own. During your visit, your dentist will remove the buildup and polish the teeth.
Since every patient has unique lifestyles, dental needs, and preferences, the dentist can offer personalized advice during your visit. It can be guiding you on selecting the best toothpaste, advising on the best beverages and foods, and teaching you how to brush your teeth.
Using Teeth Whitening Products
Although brushing teeth more regularly can prevent and eliminate smoke-related stains, toothpaste can offer minimal results when seeking to remove severe discoloration.
Therefore, you will require an over-the-counter (OTC) teeth whitening product, which can include the following:
- Whitening strips
- Whitening gels
OTC whitening products can remove stains underneath the surface and enhance your teeth’s appearance. However, these products are not effective.
Therefore, you might require professional teeth whitening to eliminate teeth stains caused by nicotine usage. The dental procedure can include an in-office whitening treatment, a personalized at-home whitening treatment, or a combination for stronger stain removal.
Even if the professional whitening removes stains, the outcome may not last if you are a smoker and require numerous dental visits a year.
Precautions Before Using Teeth Whitening Products
Before using teeth whitening products, consult your dental professional to determine whether the treatment will work best for you. Although whitening can enhance your smile’s appearance, you should inquire from your dentist about related risks, including tooth sensitivity and gum irritation. Your dental professional will advise you of alternative treatment options, including natural remedies. Ensure you follow your dentist’s instructions and avoid overusing products because they can prevent damaging tooth enamel.
You should also practice good dental hygiene to prolong the impact of your teeth’s whitening treatments.
Oil Pulling
Oil pulling involves rinsing your mouth with oil to eliminate bacteria and promote saliva production. It requires swishing a tablespoon of oil around your mouth in the morning. The oil is pulled between your teeth and around your mouth for about 20 minutes. When you are done pulling and the oil is thin and milky, you should spit it out. Avoid swallowing the oil since it has bacteria.
Oil pulling is not an alternative to regular brushing and flossing. Although cleaning your mouth with various oils can help whiten your teeth.
Suitable oils for pulling include the following:
- Sunflower oil
- Coconut oil
- Sesame oil
What to Expect When Seeking Treatment for Teeth Discoloration
Dentists use various tooth discoloration procedures depending on the underlying issue and how the stains impact the inner or outer surfaces.
You can expect your dentist to treat discoloration using methods that include the following:
Teeth Whitening
A dentist can offer at-home or in-office professional teeth whitening procedures. These techniques use carbamide or hydrogen peroxide, which breaks down stains and removes them from the tooth surfaces. Professional teeth whitening performs better on extrinsic stains. However, some whitening products can also eliminate deep intrinsic stains.
In-office whitening procedures take at least an hour, while many at-home whitening techniques need a maximum of one hour of daily procedures for six weeks. Your dentist will inform you of the advantages and cons of each option.
Porcelain Veneers
You should consider veneers if you are experiencing severe tooth discoloration that whitening cannot eradicate. These tooth-like ceramic caps are thin but strong. Your dentist will permanently glue or bond them to the frontal surfaces of your teeth to camouflage discoloration.
You should replace your porcelain veneers after five to fifteen years.
Porcelain veneers are not reversible.
Dental Bonding
Your dental professional can suggest bonding if you have severe tooth discoloration that they cannot rectify through whitening. The treatment procedure entails applying tooth-colored composite resin to hide discoloration.
Bonding is cost-effective compared to other treatment options like veneers, but you will need upgrades in five to seven years. Bonding may not be the right option if you have many discolored teeth.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is a form of charcoal derived from burnt vegetation or wood that has passed through special processing to establish an extensive surface area and boost its adsorptive qualities and volatility during chemical procedures.
Activated charcoal’s chemical composition contains absorptive qualities that give it the ability to absorb and clean various forms of materials, including bacteria and food debris. These characteristics are the reason individuals believe it can remove tough stains from the teeth’s surfaces.
Find a Skilled Dentist Near Me
When it comes to having bright, elegant teeth and a smile, you can follow a few tips to ensure they are looking their best. Eating a well-balanced diet, drinking water, avoiding tobacco, seeking medical treatment, and making regular dental visits are some tips that can keep the teeth looking healthier and whiter longer. The Hawthorne Dentist is committed to helping you achieve the dazzling smile of your dreams. During your visit, we can examine your teeth and the surrounding tissues to identify issues with your oral health and offer treatment. We can also advise on how to effectively take care of the teeth at home. Please contact us at 310-775-2557 to schedule your initial consultation.
