Do you avoid smiling in photos because you are afraid your teeth are yellow? Teeth are one of the first things noticed within 20 seconds of meeting someone, so you want to make a great impression. A smile is also a sign of warmth, joy, and happiness, so it’s only natural to want to feel secure with your teeth and enjoy them.
There are many at-home whitening options on the market today, but you are probably wondering which ones work? It is not really feasible to call your dental hygienist while you are perusing through the dental aisle at the store. However, the experts at Kearbey Dental in Oroville, California would like to help you with a few “go-to” options for in-home whitening. Here they are listed below.
Regular brushing and flossing protects your enamel, gets rid of harmful bacteria and removes staining. This is why maintaining superb oral hygiene is of the highest importance and will help reduce discoloration of your teeth.
Excellent oral hygiene includes:
Most kinds of toothpaste clean the teeth with fine and mild abrasives such as silica, aluminum oxide, calcium carbonate and baking soda. Whitening toothpaste contains more of these abrasives which will help remove the surface stain on the tooth structure. Crest 3D White is a great option if you do not have sensitive teeth.
Hydrogen Peroxide is the active ingredient in most whitening treatments. It is a mild bleaching agent and will lighten your teeth over time. For optimal whitening, a person can try rinsing with Crest 3-D White mouth rinse. This mouth rinse contains glycerin and hydrogen peroxide. The glycerin will help prevent stain from attaching to the tooth surface. The hydrogen peroxide will brighten and whiten the enamel. When used daily, you will lighten the shade of your teeth.
At Kearbey Dental Group, we suggest an inexpensive, professional option which can be purchased from a dental office and then used at home.
Products such as Opalescence Go, which is apart of our cosmetic dentistry line, are professional alternatives to over-the-counter whitening systems. It's simple, fast, and an easy way to whiten your teeth at home. These are pre-loaded bleach trays, which are simple to use and disposable. Because they do not require impressions or models of your teeth, the cost is affordable and much less time consuming! The percentage or strength of the whitening agent in this product is much higher than the over the counter options. So you will have a whiter smile in less time!
Whitening your teeth does bring up a myriad of questions and concerns for most people. Am I going to damage my enamel? Will my teeth hurt? How long will the whitening last? And when do I bleach my teeth again?
The truth is that the you will not damage the enamel, but can develop transient sensitivity. This can be slightly uncomfortable and will definitely halt the whitening process, for some. The word transient is used to describe the sensitivity because it only last for a short time, about a day, and then goes a way. It is hard to know if you will develop transient sensitivity, so you want to start slow with the whitening system and once your teeth become sensitive back off for a week, before using it again. Try a sensitive toothpaste, like Sensodyne, to help relieve and prevent sensitivity.
Once you bleach your teeth, bleaching can last from 6 months to 2 years before needing any type of touch up. One way to make the most of your bleaching treatment is to maintain regular visits to the dentist for your dental cleanings. This way they can monitor your results and remove surface stain caused by tea, coffee or wine.
The best thing you can do before whitening your teeth is talking to one of our dental health professionals at Kearbey Dental Group. Together we can discuss all these options listed here and tailor a whitening plan that will benefit both your teeth and your oral health.
