Having a white smile has been desirable for many, many years now, so much so that many of us are now prepared to earmark money to have our teeth professionally whitened through a dentist Soho. No matter if your teeth have been professionally whitened or not, there are some things you can do to help keep your teeth looking bright and white.
Top tips to a whiter smile
Minimise staining – if you like to reach for a cup of coffee every morning, mid-morning and lunchtime, and then move on to tea in the afternoon, you won’t be doing your smile any good. Coffee, tea, cola, juice, wine, squash, anything with a colour in it could be dulling your smile. If you want to get serious about teeth whitening, cut back on these drinks. A little cheat though is to use a straw as much as possible, as it reduces the amount of fluid your teeth come into contact with.
If you smoke you really need to try and cut down or even stop, tobacco is a stainer and not only that, but there are lots of other implications to your oral health; gum disease, oral cancer, dulled taste and even slower healing. Removing smoking from your life could make a real difference to your teeth.
Maybe it’s time to change toothpastes? Whitening toothpastes can actually be a really effective and simple way to brighten a smile. Have a chat with your dentist for their recommendations.
Drink water between drinks that stain your teeth – no one expects you to totally cut out coffee and tea, but it’s well worth having a big gulp of water after any such drink to wash away any dark fluids. We also encourage where possible to brush your teeth after these drinks, but always wait 30 minutes, if you brush too soon you could spread acidity around your teeth.
Keep on top of your daily oral care routine and this doesn’t just mean having a quick brush in the morning. You should be brushing at least twice a day if not after every meal. You would be wise to invest in interdental brushes to keep on top of cleaning the gaps between teeth, getting rid of plaque and tartar will help keep gum disease and decay away.
See your dentist for regular cleanings, when you book your check-up why not book in for a clean with the hygienist too? These deep cleans will help with your oral health and put a shine back in your smile you didn’t even know you were missing. Hygienists can polish away the surface stains when they clean your teeth and can help fight discolouration with no need to continue bleaching your teeth.
With regular cleans, and good eating and drinking habits there is no reason for you not to be able to keep on top of your beautiful smile, but of course stains and discolouration do happen and if need be there are ways of professionally lightening your teeth. Make sure you use a certified dentist, many bleaching products can be damaging to the tooth’s protective layer.