Wish you had a whiter healthier smile? Many of our patients are able to whiten teeth by several shades by improving their oral hygiene routines and wearing custom teeth whitening trays.
Continue reading to learn the best ways to whiten teeth. For more information, schedule a consultation with one of our cosmetic dentists to learn how to improve the appearance of your smile.
Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks
If you want to keep a naturally white smile, you’ll want to limit certain foods and drinks. Coffee is one of the biggest culprits behind . While we understand that coffee provides that much-needed boost of energy as you’re trying to get out the door, it can also stain teeth over time.
Even if you can’t stop drinking coffee completely, you might want to cut down on how much you drink each day. Other foods that stain teeth include wine, tea, tomato sauce, and berries.
Brush and Floss Daily
Plaque is an invisible film of bacteria that lives on your teeth. Over time, plaque buildup can increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Hardened plaque (tartar) can also give your teeth a yellow or brown-colored tinge. One of the best ways to protect your white smile is to brush twice a day and floss once daily.
Most dentists agree that you’ll need to brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes at a time. If we still find plenty of plaque and tartar on your teeth, we may recommend adding a fluoride mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine.
Schedule Your Teeth Cleaning
Brushing and flossing your teeth at home isn’t enough to fully protect oral health. You’ll also need to make sure you schedule a teeth cleaning with our office to remove plaque and tartar from teeth. Only a dental professional will be able to remove tartar from teeth.
If you have a lot of tartar buildup, your smile will look slightly whiter after your appointment. This is because one of our dental hygienists will use a tool called a scaler to gently scrape plaque and tartar from teeth.
Protect Your Tooth Enamel
Underneath your tooth enamel is a yellow/brownish layer called dentin. If your natural enamel wears away, the dentin is exposed, which can lead to a discolored or stained appearance. It’s important to preserve your natural tooth enamel, as once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. A good oral hygiene routine and regular dental visits can help you keep your enamel intact.
Avoid Over-the-Counter Options
While there are plenty of over-the-counter options for teeth whitening, such as whitening strips or charcoal toothpastes, many of these products can actually damage your teeth in the long run. Certain natural remedies can strip away the enamel on your teeth, weakening them and possibly causing tooth sensitivity. Ask one of our dentists about your options if you’re interested in whitening your teeth.
Get Professional Teeth Whitening
Interested in ? Our dentists may recommend custom teeth whitening trays to help you achieve a whiter smile. First, we’ll need to take impressions of your teeth to send to the lab. When you come back for your second appointment, your teeth whitening tray will be ready. Our dentists may slightly adjust the fit of your tray so it fits comfortably. We also offer Zoom teeth whitening, which is done in our office.
Ask about Dental Crowns and Veneers
Each smile is different. If you only need to improve the shade of one tooth, our dentists may recommend dental crowns or porcelain veneers. We use CEREC (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramic) technology, which means we’ll be able to create and place your new dental crown in one appointment.
However, our dentists may recommend porcelain veneers to save as much natural tooth structure as possible. Veneers are wafer-thin porcelain shells we bond to the fronts of your teeth that show when you smile or talk.
Call Today
Dr. Piotrowski and Dr. Cohen will help you explore your options to determine the best way to whiten teeth. To schedule your appointment with our , call Precision Family Dental at (616) 949-1570.
This blog post has been updated.