How Can I Whiten My Teeth And Keep Them Bright?

”How can I whiten my teeth effectively and make sure those yellowish stains don't come back?” you might wonder. Professional whitening is the best option if you are looking for the most profound results. Your dentist can safely use gels with higher concentrations of bleaching agents than drugstore kits. Over-the-counter options like strips and paint-on applications do provide benefits to tooth whitening and are less expensive. No matter how you start whitening, the trick to getting your teeth white and keeping a brilliant smile is excellent oral hygiene.

Getting Started

The first step to a whiter smile that lasts is a dental appointment for a cleaning. A professional cleaning in itself helps to whiten your teeth by removing surface stains that are caused by food, coffee and other things you consume. Once your teeth are clean, your dentist can evaluate your oral health and talk to you about your options. You want to make sure that you are a good candidate for whitening before buying over-the-counter products or planning on a professional whitening treatment.

How to Whiten Your Teeth

A professional bleaching procedure can be done at the dentist's office. This option usually takes about an hour to two hours pending on the system the dentist uses to provide longest-lasting results. Your dentist can also prepare custom trays for your teeth that are used at home. You apply a gel given to you by your dentist into the tray and then place the mouthpiece on your teeth for a period of time every day. Teeth should appear whiter after a week or two. When you notice coffee and food stains developing, use a whitening toothpaste to help remove those external stains.

Over-the-counter kits are convenient and they cost less than professional systems utilized in the dental office. Follow the instructions on any product to avoid potential problems like gum irritation and tooth sensitivity.

Keeping a Bright Smile

Once your teeth are whiter, of course you want to keep them that way. Exposure to darkly colored liquids and foods such as coffee, tea, red wine and berries can lead to more discoloration. Giving up your morning coffee for the color of your teeth is an option, but not an easy one for many people. Practice excellent oral hygiene habits to maintain a bright, beautiful smile.

Brush and floss daily. Try brushing with a whitening toothbrush and toothpaste, Colgate Optic White, to help remove food stains in addition to a mouthwash such as Colgate Optic White can also help to prevent future stains. See your dentist and dental hygienist for regular cleanings. All of this can help to keep the color that you want after you whiten your teeth.