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Are you scouring the web or social media for sure-fire ways to brighten your smile? It is very important that any teeth whitening methods you choose are safe for your teeth. The last thing you want to do is to damage your tooth enamel. During your next visit, talk to your Carolina Dental Arts dentist about your desire for whiter teeth. Your dentist has in-office and at-home whitening methods that can quickly help you achieve your smile goals. Until your next appointment, consider some of the safe ways to brighten your smile, below.
Why does everyone want whiter teeth?
Subconsciously, we all equate white teeth to youth, vitality and good health. Having a bright smile also gives you more self-confidence when smiling, socializing and speaking to others.
Most people experience yellowing and staining of teeth as part of aging. This yellowing also occurs because of poor oral hygiene and lifestyle choices.
Some lifestyle and dietary choices that yellow and stain teeth include:
- Red wine
- Tomato sauce
- Smoking
- Chewing tobacco
- Coffee
- Colas
- Fruit juices
- Curry
- Balsamic vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Berries
- Beet root
Visiting your dentist’s office regularly is one way to brighten your smile and keep it looking its best. You can also request teeth whitening treatment. But if you do not consider professional teeth whitening affordable, you have other options for whiter teeth. These options start with cutting out the staining lifestyle choices above and making some of the other choices, below.
Keep Your Teeth Clean
Keeping your teeth clean as part of a good daily oral hygiene regimen is the best way to brighten your smile. In fact, no teeth whitening method will work well if you do not brush, floss and visit your dentist as you should. Also consider using a whitening toothpaste to give you an extra edge in brightening your pearly whites.
Drink Enough Water Daily
Daily water intake is also important to brighten your smile. As said above, drinking beverages like red wine, coffee and colas can stain and yellow your teeth. It only takes just over half a minute for those dark beverages to penetrate your tooth enamel. But drinking more water, especially after staining beverages, can wash away yellowing agents.
Use a Teeth Whitening Pen
Dental products have come a long way in the past 20 years. Among the products you can use to brighten your smile is a brightening pen. These pens effectively remove stains and whiten teeth when applied according to their instructions. You can find the pens in your local drugstore, big box retailer or grocery market. They are available in flavors like mint and vanilla for easy use.
Using a whitening pen is easy. You simply apply the pen’s contents to your teeth three times daily. For 40 minutes after the application you avoid drinking, chewing gum or eating. In no time you can see the improvement in your smile.
Rub Your Teeth with Banana Peel
Although it sounds like a joke, using banana peel to brighten your smile is a smart hack. After enjoying a banana, remember to rub the inside of the peel over your teeth. Then rinse well. This method does not provide immediate results. But you will notice a difference in your smile’s vibrancy after five or six peel applications.
Chew Sugarless Gum
Chewing sugarless gum after you eat is good for kickstarting salivation to naturally clean plaque from your teeth. But chewing sugarless gum that contains Xylitol can help you maintain a whiter smile, at the same time.
Make a Natural Stain Remover
Mixing lemon with baking soda creates a natural stain remover. Applying this to your teeth can brighten your smile. Of course, you still need to brush your teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste.
Apply Lipstick with Blue Undertones
If you want to brighten your smile instantly, you can apply a lipstick with blue undertones. Colors containing blue undertones include reds, plums and pinks. Although it is an optical illusion and not actually whitening your teeth, this is a quick “cheat” toward better smile confidence.
Visit Your Raleigh or Goldsboro, NC Dentist to Brighten Your Smile
Your dentist has the skill, procedures and equipment to help you brighten your smile. Dramatic brightening can take place in just one visit to their office, such as through professional teeth whitening. Veneers and bonding are other methods for an instantly more youthful and whiter smile. Other options include at-home whitening kits from your dentist’s office. Schedule a visit with our Goldsboro dentist office or one of our two Raleigh dentist office locations today to learn more about how you can safely brighten your smile.
