3 Tips To Start The New Year With A Whiter Smile
Your smile is probably the first thing that others notice about you. Because your oral health can play into people's impressions of you, it is important that you are not only healthy, but that you are presenting the best version of yourself. Whether you are starting at a new organization or your kids are starting a new extracurricular activity, it is important for your whole family to have healthy smiles. Here are three tips to help your family start the new year with whiter smiles.
Try an in-office tooth whitening treatment.
In addition to providing teeth cleanings and assessing the health of your mouth, your dentist can also give you an in-office tooth whitening treatment. This is a simple treatment that can be accomplished in a single visit to your dentist. Your dentist protects your gums with a shield or a gel, then applies bleach to your teeth and uses a lamp to activate its whitening function. After rinsing the bleach and gel out of your mouth, you have a brighter smile. This is a non-invasive procedure that is safe and practical, especially if you have stained teeth and regular brushing and flossing is not helping.
Talk with a cosmetic dentist if you have specific questions about different whitening techniques.
Carefully consume sugary, acidic drinks.
Acidic and sugary beverages such as coffees and sodas can erode your enamel and stain your teeth, leading to a less-than-spectacular smile. While structuring your diet to support your health is important, it is also very unrealistic to completely cut out highly pigmented foods and beverages from your daily life. Instead, enjoy them responsibly by sipping them through a straw. This allows you to savor the taste without letting the liquid come into contact with your teeth. Be careful not to backwash, as this completely defeats the purpose of using the straw in the first place.
Drink more water until you can brush and floss.
In general, clean and healthy teeth make for the whitest smile. It is important to brush and floss as your dentist recommends on a daily basis; however, it can be hard to brush and floss after a meal if you are away from home. Encourage each member of your family to drink water after a big meal, especially if they are consuming foods that could stain their teeth, such as red sauces or berry pies. While drinking water does not replace cleaning your teeth, it does help to remove some food residue from your teeth in the interim.
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