Having a bright, white smile can make you look younger and more attractive and it can make you feel more confident. If you’d like to get a whiter smile, the following steps can help.
1. Improve Your Oral Hygiene Routine
The first step to getting whiter teeth is keeping them clean and healthy. Reevaluate your oral hygiene routine and make sure you’re doing your best to keep your teeth as clean as possible.
- Floss at least once every day.
- Brush after every meal for at least two minutes—be sure not to brush too hard since that could damage your enamel (the whitest part of your teeth).
- Rinse your mouth out with a bacteria killing, whitening mouthwash.
2. Prevent Stains
While your teeth may naturally become less white over time, stains will make things much worse. The following tips can help you avoid staining your teeth.
- Stop smoking and avoid using other tobacco products.
- Keep your enamel strong. Your enamel is the whitest part of your teeth and it protects the other parts of your teeth. If your enamel is weaker, your teeth will be more vulnerable to stains. Keep your enamel strong by using toothpaste with fluoride, using a soft bristled toothbrush, and avoiding acidic and sugary beverages.
- Take extra care when drinking dark beverages like red wine and coffee. If a beverage could stain your clothing or your carpet, it could also stain your teeth. To prevent stains, drink coffee through a straw so that less of it touches your teeth and rinse your mouth out with water after drinking red wine.
3. Have Your Teeth Professionally Whitened
Even if you have excellent oral hygiene and avoid stains, your teeth may still look less white as you get older. Fortunately, Dr. Siegelman offers professional whitening that can give you an attractive, white smile. Having your teeth whitened professionally is much safer than using over the counter products or home remedies and it is faster and more effective. When you have your teeth whitened, they’ll first be cleaned. Then a material will be applied to your gums to protect them during the process. Next, gel will be applied to the teeth and a special light will activate the gel to whiten your teeth. The procedure takes about 30 minutes and your teeth and gums will be safe while you’re getting a whiter, brighter smile.
