Beauty

How To Whiten Your Teeth

smileMillions of people's aren't satisfied with the colour of their teeth. They're either too yellow, too stained or a combination of both. Some people are able to correct this with an increase in their teeth cleaning regime, while others turn to advanced cosmetic dentistry techniques.

Dentists' most common, and highly regarded, advice is to adhere to a strict dental care regime. This would mean alternative treatments wouldn't be necessary. For not only brighter, but healthier looking teeth and gums you should:

  1. Brush your teeth twice daily using a fluoride based toothpaste. A circular motion should be used and attention paid to all teeth
  2. Floss daily, a technique not commonly adhered to but one that dramatically reduces the build-up of stains and plaque on teeth.
  3. Use sugar-free chewing gum. This step has been shown to greatly reduce the build-up of plaque and acids in your mouth.
  4. Drink plenty of water during the day. The same two litre recommendation made by other health professionals would come from dentists alike.
  5. Consume a sensible and balanced diet. Refer to the food pyramid and reduce your consumption of dark staining foods and drinks-coffee,teas,red wine etc.
  6. Pay a visit to your dentist as advised for a thorough scale and clean. They can also advise on further whitening processes to suit your needs.

If implementing this routine doesn't improve the colour and overall appearance of your teeth, you may want to consider some other advanced whitening techniques. It's always best to consult your dentist before deciding on which technique suits your needs but the information below hopefully helps you in your decision.

Whitening Trays

Whitening trays are used to whiten teeth by being fitted to the individual's mouth and filled with a bleaching gel. The bleach then breaks down stains and residue on the teeth that brushing and flossing cannot.

Teeth whitening trays are of two core types;over the counter and professionally fitted. The OTC type do not fit the teeth accurately and are limited in their extent of whitening-you end up swallowing more of the bleaching gel!. This is due to the gel leaking out where it doesn't fit so well. If there are no leaks, there may be areas where the bleaching gel pools unevenly. On the other hand, the dentist fitted trays although more expensive prove a better investment because they can be custom fitted to the person using them.

Benefits of whitening trays include:
* affordable (when compared to laser or zoom whitening)
* easy to use (some brands can be used at home)
* effective (they will whiten teeth but it's worth noting they will not whiten your teeth as quickly as the below mentioned laser and heat based processes)

*less sensitivity compared with laser and heat based systems.

Laser Whitening

Laser whitening is now more popular than ever before, this is because the results are instant and can be more effective than the technique mentioned above. You can expect your teeth to be at least 10 shades whiter as a result. With all these accelerated techniques you should also be supplied with a set of home trays. Periodic" touch ups"is the best way to maintain your dazzling new smile.

Like many other techniques there are many brands available, three of the most popular are outlined below.

ZOOM
Zoom teeth whitening uses a heat lamp and acidic peroxide gel to clean an individual's full set of teeth. The process typically takes about an hour to complete and the results can be seen for two to four years afterwards.

SMARTLIGHT
The smartlight process uses a laser-like light and alkaline gel. The process costs slightly more than Zoom teeth whitening, but the effects can be seen for longer, the process only takes 45 minutes and the results are likely to be better.

SMARTBLEACH
Light the Smartlight process, Smartbleach uses a laser-like light and alkaline gel. The results of this highly advanced process will last five full years and it can eradicate all stains on your teeth.

Soon you'll be joining the Sparkling Clean Teeth club.

Published on behalf of Vanessa Blake, a freelance writer and health freak with a ridiculous general knowledge of nutrition and the body. No wonder she decided to study for a Diploma of Nutrition in 2003. She also loves yoga.

One Comment

  1. You can afford to smile whenever you want when your teeth is white

If you have any questions, please ask below!