There is nothing more welcoming than a nice big smile and if you have sparkling white teeth then all the better! The problem is that few people have beautiful white teeth to help illuminate that smile.
While young children usually have very white teeth, this is not usually the case for adults. Over time, their teeth tend to go yellow. There are many reasons why your teeth are likely to become discolored. One of the main reasons is the effects of smoking. Not only is smoking very bad for your general health, but the habit is also likely to leave your teeth with horrible brown stains, which even by the wildest stretch of the imagination are never attractive.
Even what you eat and drink can take that white sheen off your teeth as they stain the tooth enamel. Also, as you grow older, what you consume will actually break down the enamel, revealing the dentin, which is yellowish in color, underneath.
Hopefully, you will have kept to a strict dental health regime, brushing at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and regularly flossing, but your teeth will still lose their whiteness over time. The big question here is, what can you do to restore a pearly white smile?
Here are some tips:
- Brush your tongue. You may already be brushing your tongue to ensure your breath remains fresh. However, the brushing does more than that. The tongue collects bacteria, which can cause the teeth to become discolored. Brush the back of the tongue with long strokes, however remember to rinse the brush after each stroke to ensure the bacteria is removed and not left in the mouth.
- Eat raw fruit, vegetables, and nuts. These can help remove plaque and surface stains from the teeth.
- Rinse the mouth with apple cider vinegar. This provides a natural and organic mouth rinse. Mix two-parts water with one-part apple cider vinegar and rinse around the mouth for a minute to maintain a gleaming smile.
- Rinse after eating oranges. Experts claim that eating oranges is good for you and they are right. However, along with citrus fruits, such as lime and lemon, they are not ideal for keeping pearly white teeth. This is because these fruits contain acid, which over time erodes the enamel and gives your teeth a yellowy look. The solution is to rinse your mouth with water every time you eat oranges or other citrus fruits.
- Gel trays or whitening strips? Both these methods are ways for you to ensure your teeth are whitened. The question is, which is the best method? Gel trays appear to be the best option as they distribute the whitening paste more evenly and reach up to the gum line much more effectively than whitening strips.
- Rinse the mouth with coconut oil. This is an old remedy in which is it claimed that the lauric acid in the coconut oil rids the teeth of the bacteria that causes the enamel to yellow.
While these tips for whitening teeth can be carried out in the comfort of your own home, the most effective way of ensuring your teeth are white and gleaming is to visit your dentist. Dentists such as those at Kool Smiles whiten teeth in a manner that is both safe and lasting. Kool Smiles is also on the lookout for people for careers (check out Kool Smiles careers), which will see them involved in all aspects of tooth care, including tooth whitening.
To get a whiter smile, maintain your oral care at home and regularly visit your dentist!
My teeth have been getting to be a bit too off-white lately, so these tips are just what I needed … thanks!
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