Your teeth are essential to the functionality and aesthetics of your mouth. People first notice your teeth when you speak or smile, making them critical to creating a lasting impression. White teeth give you confidence and depict your oral health and hygiene. Sadly, your teeth are not always as sparkly as you want. Visiting a professional for teeth whitening is time-consuming and expensive, forcing you to remain with discolored teeth.
If you are unhappy with your stained or discolored teeth and looking for an alternative to professional teeth whitening, you should try do-it-yourself (DIY) in the comfort of your home. DIY remedies include avoiding foods or beverages that stain your teeth and using bleaching products. Discussed below are secrets to pearly white teeth. However, before you practice these techniques, you should talk to your dentist for a thorough oral examination and recommendation.
DIY Teeth Whitening
It is possible to clear superficial stains yourself. Several home whitening products are available, including rinses, kits, toothpaste, and strips. You can even try conventional or natural remedies like activated charcoal and strawberry. Most DIY whitening products are available over-the-counter (OTC) to remove mild stains. Nevertheless, if your discoloration or stains are deep, you should consider talking to your cosmetic dentist for a detailed professional teeth whitening.
Whitening Strips
Popular dental products famous for removing stains are whitening strips. Your teeth will inevitably stain as you age, but you can slow the staining using whitening strips that are available in drugstores. The strips are thin, flexible membranes crusted with a bleaching peroxide-based gel. Strips offer convenience and affordability and are user-friendly because no mixing or molding is involved. Also, they are virtually invisible, so you can wear them to work or shopping.
Ensure you read the instructions on how to use the product. You should apply the gel directly to the teeth using a brush. After applying the adhesive strips to the teeth’ surfaces, leave them for thirty minutes without brushing. Some products require you to leave the strips longer, so read the instructions carefully. Many manufacturers recommend that you apply the adhesive twice daily for fourteen days.
You will begin seeing the outcome within a few days, lasting at least twelve months. The results you obtain from strips are less effective than those from whitening kits. Also, if you have crooked teeth or stains between teeth, you should use trays, as they are more effective than strips. Besides, saliva can penetrate below the adhesive or gel, diluting the hydrogen peroxide. Strips are also wide enough to cover only six teeth, hence unsuitable for covering a wide smile.
Whitening Kits or Trays
The most effective DIY teeth whitening technique is the dentist-dispensed home kits, particularly the ones you use for a long duration. These kits contain more bleaching agents than those purchased from OTC.
In some kits, you apply a gel containing carbamide peroxide to the tooth surface, while in other kits, the adhesive is in trays. Trays offer several benefits, including:
- They keep the bleaching agent in constant contact with the teeth, giving optimum outcome.
- They deter the saliva from penetrating the bleaching agent, diluting it.
- They reduce the amount of bleaching agent that can trickle into the gingiva tissue, causing irritation.
You can purchase trays that are pre-loaded with bleaching agents. Other trays come with the bleaching product stored in syringes and are only added to the kits before use. The trays must be worn for at least thirty to forty-five minutes daily for one or two weeks. If your teeth are deeply discolored, you must wear the trays for three weeks or more.
Whitening Toothpaste
Technically, all toothpastes have whitening effects on teeth as they extract plaque, calculus, and debris from the surfaces of the teeth. Nevertheless, only a few types of toothpaste contain primary whitening ingredients like chemical bleaching products and high-concentration gels or adhesives. These whitening toothpastes have enhanced whitening capabilities compared to ordinary toothpastes.
The bleaching agents in toothpaste are mild and do not change the natural color of your teeth's enamel. They only scrape off the stains and discoloration from the teeth. You only brush for two minutes twice daily, so you should not expect the results of toothpaste whitening to be the same as those of in-office whitening. However, because you brush your teeth twice daily throughout the year, the shades of your teeth become brighter over time.
Many people swallow toothpaste when brushing their teeth. Whitening toothpaste manufacturers know this, so the percentage of the bleaching agent contained in them is low. Even if you accidentally gulp the product, you will not experience irritation.
Some whitening toothpastes contain abrasives like baking soda, silica, calcium carbonate, and aluminum oxide. Be cautious when using toothpaste that contains these adhesives because overuse can cause more stains instead of reducing them.
Whitening Rinses
Some mouthwashes contain long-acting whitening products. These mouthwashes are known as whitening rinses. You use the rinse like regular mouthwash, and because you only rinse your mouth for a minute twice daily, the whitening results can take at most twelve weeks to be visible.
Conventional Home Remedies for Teeth Whitening
You can use traditional teeth whitening remedies like baking soda and peroxide. What you do is purchase the two chemicals from OTC. After, create a paste by mixing one tablespoon of baking soda and two spoons of hydrogen peroxide. Use this paste to brush your teeth. Once you are done brushing, rinse your mouth using water or a mixture of baking soda and water. The paste removes stains and whitens your teeth. Within six weeks, the results of the whitening will be visible.
Another natural remedy is eating fruits and vegetables with high water concentrations. The water is believed to cleanse plaque, bacteria, and debris in the teeth and gums. Also, when you take these fruits or vegetables after a meal, they help with saliva production. Saliva then helps remove the food debris and neutralize harmful acids in the mouth.
Furthermore, rubbing fruit peels like lemons, oranges, or bananas can help whiten them. The citric acid in fruit peels contains bleaching capabilities that whiten the teeth. Rub the fruit peels thoroughly against the tooth surfaces for two minutes, then rinse the mouth. Afterward, brush your teeth.
Another natural remedy you can use at home to whiten your teeth is oil pulling. If you want this remedy, shop for high-quality coconut oil without harmful ingredients. Take one or two spoons of the oil and swish it for ten to thirty minutes. Be careful not to swallow the oil, as it contains toxins and bacteria from the mouth. Spit the liquid into the toilet and rinse your mouth with clean water. After, drink a glass of water before brushing your teeth.
Additionally, activated charcoal is a natural remedy suitable for extracting stains and pigments from the surfaces of your teeth. It also removes toxins. If you prefer this technique, buy a capsule of activated charcoal and pour it on your toothbrush. Moderately brush the teeth in circles for at least two minutes and then spit. If you are concerned about the abrasiveness or sensitivity of your teeth, dab the charcoal on the teeth and leave it for two minutes. Besides, you can use the charcoal to make mouthwash by mixing it with water. After mixing, swish the mixture in the mouth for two minutes and spit.
Teeth Whitening when you have Dental Installations
You should approach whitening cautiously if you have dental work like veneers, bridges, crowning, bonding, and fillings. The bleaching agent in your whitening product will not affect your dental restoration. Only the natural teeth will whiten, and the artificial teeth will remain the same, which could deny you the desired goal. However, to create uniformity, you can explore the latest dental works, like dental veneers and bonding.
Preventing Stains Before They Happen
The outer surface of your enamel wears out as you age, exposing the underlying layer, dentin, which is yellow. As a result, your teeth become yellow. However, it is possible to prevent the staining in the following ways:
Avoid Smoking
Smoking lowers your immune system, exposing you to various oral and overall health conditions. Studies have linked tobacco smoking to cancer, foul breath, and periodontitis. Also, tobacco smoking causes brown stains on your teeth. These stains are difficult to remove because they infiltrate the groves and uneven surfaces in the enamel. The longer the duration of your tobacco smoking, the deeper the stains.
Limit your Intake of Foods and Drinks that Stain your teeth
Watching what you eat and drink is essential because these can contribute to tooth discoloration or staining. You can tell if food or beverages will stain your teeth if they stain a white cotton shirt. Dark berries, soda, coffee, and red wine stain teeth. However, this does not mean you should avoid these substances altogether. Dentists recommend limiting their intake to reduce these substances' contact with your teeth.
Also, you can reduce contact with teeth when using staining beverages by drinking them from a straw. Additionally, it would help if you brushed your teeth an hour after eating or drinking any of these substances. Brushing helps limit the color effects of food or drinks on your teeth.
Other foods that can leave their color behind, staining your teeth, include blackberries, beets, and blueberries. You need fruits and vegetables to stay healthy, so do not avoid them entirely. Instead, brush and rinse your teeth with water immediately after taking them.
Sports drinks are bad for your teeth, but some, like bottled lemonade, have far worse results. Prolonged use results in the erosion of your tooth surface or enamel, exposing the dentin. If the dentin is exposed, the teeth start to look yellow, affecting your smile's quality. Prevent erosion by avoiding prolonged sipping of these drinks and rinsing the mouth with water every time you drink them.
Control Sugar Intake
You must reduce your sugar intake if you want whiter teeth. Foods rich in sugar enable Streptococcus mutans growth, a bacteria infamous for causing calculus and plaque buildup. Whenever you eat sugary substances, brush your teeth immediately.
Increase Calcium Intake
Aging is associated with tooth discoloration because the enamel wears out as age advances, exposing the underlying yellow dentin. Even though you cannot prevent aging, you can strengthen your enamel by increasing calcium-rich diets. Strong enamel is not easily erodible, enabling you to retain a pearl-white surface.
Pay Attention to Daily Maintenance
Your main action plan for preventing tooth discoloration and maintaining whiter teeth is regular and correct brushing and flossing of the teeth. Dentists recommend that you brush twice daily, for two minutes. Brushing your teeth every time you eat or drink is even better. By brushing, you prevent tooth staining and discoloration. Also, floss your teeth daily after brushing with an antiseptic mouthwash.
Advantages of DIY Treatment
A significant benefit of whitening your teeth at home is the long-term outcome. The most effective way to maintain whiter teeth is by whitening them using home remedies, as you can do it regularly, twice, or three times a year, which is more convenient than visiting a dentist. Many dentists recommend that patients with deeply stained teeth continue with home whitening remedies, even for a year.
Another benefit of DIY whitening is that there are various options, including whitening rinses, toothpaste, trays, and strips. You can choose the whitening technique that fits your needs and budget.
Also, because the treatment is happening at home without the need for a professional, you can perform it anytime. Besides, you can repeat the remedy for a prolonged period of time until you obtain the desired outcome.
Additionally, bleaching agents like strips are highly portable because you can use them at work, when commuting, or when shopping.
Lastly, DIY home whitening remedies are pocket-friendly compared to a professional whitening procedure. OTC whiteners range from $4 to $100, which is more affordable than in-office whitening, which costs upwards of $650.
Find the Right Dental Spa Near Me
Several at-home tooth whitening options are available. Nevertheless, you must be cautious when using any of them because they can damage your soft tissue and tooth enamel. The most efficient way to maintain white teeth is to prevent stains through good oral habits and regular visits to the dentist. If these have been unsuccessful, it is time to see a dentist. At Lasting Impressions Dental Spa, we will thoroughly examine your teeth and recommend the best DIY whitening option. Call us today at 818-751-5100 to arrange a meeting in Encino, CA.
