How can I improve the whiteness of my teeth?

There are several ways to improve the whiteness of your teeth:

1. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene Habits – Maintaining a gleaming smile without clean and healthy teeth and gums is extremely difficult. Before looking into any specialized teeth whitening solutions, ensure you brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss daily to remove plaque and surface stains.
2. Limit staining foods and drinks – To maintain teeth whiteness, avoid certain foods (like beets and dark berries) and drinks (coffee, tea, red wine) that can stain teeth. If you consume any of these, rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash afterward.
3. Avoid tobacco products – This is fairly straightforward. All tobacco, whether smoking cigarettes, cigars or smokeless chewing tobacco, or “dip” that goes inside the cheek or bottom lips and presses against the teeth, is notorious for staining teeth.
4. Whitening toothpaste – whitening toothpaste, available at supermarkets and pharmacies, contain mild abrasives that can help remove surface stains, though these will likely be less effective against deeper stains.
5. At-home whitening treatments – Also available at most outlets at which whitening toothpaste is available are a variety of teeth-whitening treatments, typically containing hydrogen peroxide, which you can administer at home via gels, trays, or whitening strips. Speak with your dentist before starting any at-home treatment, and be sure to follow any treatment’s instructions carefully.
6. Professional teeth whitening – Professional teeth whitening, provided in-office by your dentist, uses stronger whitening agents, like Opalescence Boost’s chemically-activated whitening gel, will likely provide you with the most immediate, dramatic, and long-lasting results.

There are certain foods that may stain your teeth, like coffee, tea, red wine, and dark-colored fruits. Having good home care will help prevent daily staining. Surface stains that do accumulate can be removed by your dental hygienist every six months. Over-the-counter and in-office whitening treatments can improve the brightness of your teeth by lightening the first few layers of enamel.

Teeth Whitening in Chattanooga

Contact us to learn more about teeth whitening!