With more and more people concerned about physical appearance, teeth whitening is becoming a regular beauty ritual for some people. However, there are some precautions that need to be taken and things to consider before you decide which of the many options is the best for you. This article provides you with some useful advice.
If you have gum disease or untreated cavities in your mouth, be cautious before undergoing any teeth whitening procedures. You could end up damaging your teeth even further or just end up wasting money on a procedure that won’t work. You should consult with your dentist before undergoing the procedure.
Try to avoid water with fluoride added in or toothpaste that incorporates fluoride. Recent reports have shown that fluoride can stain and discolor teeth. If you only have access to water in your home with fluoride added to it, either look for a filter or consider drinking your water from bottles as long as it is without fluoride as well.
Determine why your teeth are discolored before starting any whitening treatment. A trip to your dentist should answer this question. Knowing the cause of your discolored teeth will give you the best treatment options for your specific problems and therefore you will also get the best results too.
Approximately half of all patients who try some sort of whitening treatment, especially those at home, will experience some level of tooth sensitivity as a result. If this happens to you, try lowering the concentration of the product that you are using, and see if that corrects the problem.
A natural whitening method that many people stand by is to mix lemon juice and salt. Fresh squeezed lemon juice is best as the acid is at its peak. Mix the juice from a lemon with a half teaspoon of salt and brush your teeth with the mixture. The acid will eat at the stains and the salt will add abrasion to scrub them away. Brush normally after this treatment to remove the citric acid.
After you eat a snack or consume a beverage, thoroughly rinse out your mouth with plain water. By removing any food or drink residue from your teeth, you will be better able to keep them white. This is an excellent way to prevent staining or other discolorations on your teeth.
Your dentist might be able to give you his opinions on which at-home whitening methods are effective without harming your teeth or gums. Some kits will be more effective than others, and your dentist will be able to tell you which ones work best.
To prevent teeth whiteners from bleaching your gums along with your teeth, rub a small bit of petroleum jelly on your gums before using whitening products. The petroleum jelly provides a protective coating that will help stop the active ingredients in topical whiteners from also bleaching your gums along with your teeth.
To help whiten your teeth, chew gum often after meals. Your teeth are naturally white and certain gums enable the mouth to do its own biochemistry and whitening and preservation of enamel after a meal. To get the most out of your teeth whitening efforts, let the body do all it can before you hit the toothpaste.
Stay away from yellow gold jewelry if you want your teeth to look white. The color will make yellow tones in your teeth even more prominent. Instead of gold, go with silvers, diamonds, rhinestones and white gold. These colors will help accentuate the white in your teeth making your smile gleam.
Avoid using toothpaste and drinking water that has been treated with fluoride. Although the United States still allows it, many other countries have actually banned treating drinking water with fluoride due to the unknown potential hazards it can cause. Recent studies have shown that fluoride can actually discolor or stain your teeth.
Teeth that were recently whitened will absorb color from foods very easily. You want to try not to eat or drink a lot of things with strong colors like juices and sodas for a little while after having your teeth whitened. Or you may find that instead of pearly white teeth, you now have blood red teeth.
Along with being high in sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup, wine and soda can stain your teeth. That makes these beverages a double hazard for your teeth. Avoid these beverages or rinse your mouth out with water after drinking soda or wine, better yet, brush your teeth if possible.
If you are going to the dentist to have bleaching treatments, be sure not to overdo it. People get excited at the results they see, so they think their teeth will get even whiter if they continuously get them bleached. Unfortunately, the only result of this are teeth that turn blue!
Be sure to speak with a dentist before you use any kind of store bought chemicals for teeth whitening. Your dentist can give you the best information about what to do and let you know of any side effects different ways of whitening might have.
If you want white teeth in a hurry, and you don’t care about cost, go and see a professional. Dentists can use specialized equipment, along with the bleaching chemicals, to whiten your smile around 15 shades in one session. The cost of this typically costs approximately $500 per session.
As stated beforehand, there are lots of methods you can use to whiten your teeth. As important as it is to take preventative measures, it is also important to continuously care for you teeth. Use the ideas from this article to whiten your teeth in a safe way, and be more confident in your smile.
