How to Make Your Teeth Brighter and Whiter

How to Make Your Teeth Brighter and Whiter

Tips for Whiter Teeth

A smile is worth a thousand words. But what makes a smile worthwhile? They say it's the teeth. However, teeth are not only for smiling; they have numerous other important functions such as chewing food as part of the digestive system, pronunciation and articulation of words and for keeping your appearance through acting as a filler in the face to avoid collapse. Also, our deciduous teeth can bring about the growth and development of permanent teeth, so that if deciduous teeth are lost there may be poor alignment of permanent teeth. This is why we have to take care of our teeth.

One of the ways by which we can take care of our teeth is through the maintenance of its shine and whiteness. Basically it may be hard to do this, as stained teeth become more common as people age. Stained teeth may be due to foods and drinks that we consume or the habits that we possess such as smoking, chewing candy or gum or using mouthwashes. If you have yellowed teeth, fret no more because there are remedies that you can do yourself. In addition to these DIY remedies, you should avoid substances that can bring about teeth discoloration.

If you want to whiten your teeth all by yourself, you can find some home whitening products at stores or online. These whitening products are in the form of kits, toothpaste or strips, and they may help lighten those teeth stains of yours. Some kits use mild bleach to whiten teeth while others use chemicals and abrasives to remove stains. However, these products can only whiten superficial stains; if you have deeper stains, it is wise to consult your dentist about them.

Whitening Kits

You can use a tooth whitening kit. A tooth whitening kit usually contains a type of bleach called carbamide peroxide. This substance can remove both deep and superficial teeth stains and can change the natural tooth color. Tooth whitening kits are especially helpful if you have coffee stained teeth. In some kits, a peroxide gel is available with a small brush to be applied to your teeth; while in other kits, there may be a tray that molds to the teeth. Trays are often worn everyday for 30 to 45 minutes for a week or more.

Whitening Strips

Another product you may consider is the whitening strip. These strips are usually very thin and are barely visible; yet they are coated with a peroxide-based whitening gel. Whitening strips are usually worn for a few minutes every day for a week or more. Though they are much less effective than whitening kits, they may be pretty handy to use.

Toothpastes

If you don't want to go through the hassle of using whitening kits and whitening strips, you can try using whitening toothpaste instead. There are many whitening toothpaste that are sold over the counter. However they may be less effective than whitening kits because they cannot change the natural color of teeth, since they only contain mild abrasives and chemicals.

Other Remedies

Another cost-effective remedy is to use baking soda. You can place baking soda in your toothbrush and brush your teeth with it. If you are travelling with no access to toothbrush or toothpaste, you can try chewing sugarless gum instead. Sugarless gum can cleanse your tooth of leftover food debris and can trigger saliva secretion to cleanse your mouth. Saliva is a natural neutralizer for acid in the mouth that can fight off tooth decay. You can also try snacking on teeth whitening foods such as apples, carrots, pears and celery.

However, all these methods cannot be used if you have dental work such as veneers, fillings, crowns, bridges and bonds. These above-mentioned whitening agents cannot whiten these artificial tooth materials, so that you have to visit your dentist for this.

If you want to know more about taking care of your teeth, feel free to read our other articles on this site.