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My recommendation for sparkling white teeth is a combination of both preventing stains and removing stains.
Preventing stains is tricky, because some of the most popular drinks are dark liquids that contribute to tooth staining (e.g. coffee, tea, wine). In my opinion, it would be unrealistic for most of us to just stop consuming those beverages for the sake of whiter teeth. If you are able to do so, you have more willpower (and probably whiter teeth) than I do!
My personal trick is to drink dark-colored beverages with a reusable straw as much as possible. This helps me to reduce the frequency that stain-forming beverages come in contact with my front teeth. Although this trick might look weird to my friends (“why are you drinking hot coffee with a straw?!”) and doesn’t avoid stains on all tooth surfaces, I find it helpful for minimizing stain formation on the fronts of my front teeth- the areas that are most easily visible.
Now that I’ve shared with you my weird personal straw habit, let’s talk about something more socially acceptable: using tooth whitening products. Removing stains is possible with a variety of safe and effective products. Two of my favorite options are over-the-counter whitening strips and professional whitening treatments.
I like over-the-counter whitening strips, because you can form the flexible strips to your teeth. Forming the strips to your teeth helps the whitening gel make contact with your teeth and break down stain particles.
You might consider professional whitening services. Professional whitening products can help you achieve a whiter smile faster, but they also have a higher risk of damaging non-tooth areas, such as your gums and lips. The reason we are able to safely provide you these stronger products in-office is that we have the resources and personnel to make sure that the whitening gel only touches your teeth. For example, we carefully protect your gums by applying a temporary protective barrier, which covers your gumline but leaves your teeth uncovered for whitening gel placement. We also have the eagle-eyes of both a dentist and a dental assistant, who make sure to catch and suction away any whitening gel that tries to slide away from your teeth and towards more delicate soft tissue.
There are so many different whitening options available, and we’ve only covered some highlights of two methods of whitening. There are also pre-whitening considerations that are unique to each person (e.g. reason for tooth discoloration, existing fillings, presence of tooth decay) that a dentist can help you navigate. I encourage you to stop by Comfydent Smiles to chat more- I would be excited to talk with you and figure out what whitening options would work well for your teeth, your lifestyle, and your whitening goals.
