10 Easy Tips For Maintaining A Pearly White Smile
We all want sparkly white teeth! Your smile is often times the first thing someone notices when they look at you so it makes sense to want to keep your teeth in tip top shape. While I do recommend you go the professional route, here I offer 10 alternatives to whitening your teeth professionally.
While I do recommend getting your teeth professionally whitened, there are other ways to get your teeth white, especially if you have sensitivity. IIn office whitening however is the most efficient and safest way to whiten your teeth. With in-office treatment, the dentist uses a solution that usually contains ~35% carbide peroxide to get you instantly white teeth. Custom whitening trays can also be done by your dentist or Orthodontist. These whitening systems usually contain a 10-15% solution of carbamide peroxide. You get the trays to take home and use as directed.
[Updated March 2024]
We all want sparkly white teeth! Your smile is often times the first thing someone notices when they look at you so it makes sense to want to keep your teeth in tip top shape. Getting your teeth whitened professionally at your Dentist or Orthodontist’s office is the quickest way to get a confidence boost, but it can be a bit pricey. While I do recommend you go the professional route, here are some easy alternatives:
easy tips to keep and maintain those pearly whites:
Choose the right shade of lipstick! Certain lip colors can make your teeth appear whiter. Colors like red and bright pink can really make your smile pop.
Instead of coffee, tea, red wine, cranberry juice and other chromogenic beverages that stain your teeth, try drinking more water or other clear drinks as alternatives.
If you are like me and must have tea (or coffee) try drinking from a straw. This will reduce the surface area that the beverage covers and thus reduce staining. You can also try coffee that doesn’t stain your teeth as much like the Golden Ratio coffee brand.
Teeth appear whiter amongst tanned skin tones. If you are of a lighter complexion you will notice that your teeth appear darker or more yellow in the winter months and brighter in the warmer months when you get a tan. A quick hack is to get a tan! In the winter months try tanning products or a tanning bed.
Whiten While You eat! Certain foods such as soy sauce, berries and curry stain your enamel, fibrous foods like apples, celery, carrots, spinach, broccoli and lettuce actually work to remove stains by exfoliating teeth.
Wear contrasting colored outfits. If you don’t have really white teeth then up against a white blouse they will tend to look discolored. Choose an off-white or cream-colored shade instead. To make them really pop wear colors like black or red.
Brush daily (at least 2x) with a whitening toothpaste, and floss! There are tons of options on the market. Some of my favorite whitening toothpastes are Crest 3D White, Crest 3D White Brilliance and Sensodyne true White (for the with sensitive teeth).
Invest in an electric toothbrush. This is the very effective at removing extrinsic stains, which are embedded on the exterior of the tooth surface. There are many options available, you can start by checking the my resources page.
Whitening Strips, gels and tablets are great and do work when used consistently. Whitening strips contain a concentration of carbamine peroxide (the agent that whitens teeth) roughly six times stronger than toothpastes (6-10%). This amount of solution is enough to start penetrating your dental pores and lifting deeper stains. Some of these strips and gels (and there are many) include Crest White Strips, Smile Brilliant and Bright White to name a few.
Last but not least, see your dentist regularly.
All the above are great and easy ways to maintain a beautifully white smile but I do recommend getting your teeth professionally whitened first. It is the most efficient and safest way to whiten your teeth. With in-office treatment, the dentist uses a solution that usually contains ~35% carbide peroxide to get you instantly white teeth. Custom whitening trays can also be done by your dentist or Orthodontist. These whitening systems usually contain a 10-15% solution of carbamide peroxide. You get the trays to take home and use as directed.
Professional Teeth Whitening At Home
White teeth are always in style! Everyone wants a sparkly white smile and if you read my previous post you will know that there are many culprits out there that may diminish the whiteness of your teeth over time. Some of those culprits include coffee, tea, red wine, sodas, curry, turmeric, cigarette smoke to name just a few.
White teeth are always in style! Everyone wants a sparkly white smile and if you read my previous post you will know that there are many culprits out there that may diminish the whiteness of your teeth over time. Some of those culprits include coffee, tea, red wine, sodas, curry, turmeric, cigarette smoke to name just a few.
To combat these I mentioned different things to do and different products that will help to achieve a pearly white smile. Now, I am an Orthodontist and deal with teeth all day long and besides the most common question of “when am I getting my braces off?,” the second most common question I get is “How can I get my teeth whiter?” This is why I was very excited when Smile Brilliant asked me to review their at-home whitening system. I am always open to trying new products, especially if it means helping my patients.
My beautiful sister happily volunteered to be my test subject, since she’s always trying to get a whiter smile.
The Process:
Smile Brilliant sent me their teeth whitening kit which included impression material, an impression tray, whitening gel and desensitizing gel. My sister took her impressions and sent them back to smile brilliant in the pre-paid package provided. From there her trays were fabricated and sent back to her. Within a few days she received her custom fitted whitening trays and her whitening journey began.
She wore her trays to bed at night for about 2-21/2 weeks to achieve the results below!
After a few short weeks of (conveniently) wearing trays to bed, a desirable result was achieved. My sister is very happy with the results and says based on the ease of the overall process and the results she would definitely recommend it to a friend.
Giveaway!!
If you’re thinking about starting your own whitening journey, you’re in luck! Smile Brilliant will be giving one of MY readers $149 in credit to use on their site. To enter, visit Smile Brilliant through this link and provide your name and email address. This is open to anyone is the US, UK, Canada, and Australia! The winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by Smile Brilliant directly.
If you’re feeling impatient and want to get started with your smile transformation ASAP, you can save 15% on your Smile Brilliant order now with code theunorthodoc at checkout.
Happy Whitening!
White Teeth Are Always In Style
We all want sparkly white teeth! Your smile is often times the first thing someone notices when they look at you so it makes sense to want to keep your teeth in tip top shape. However, there are some culprits that may prevent us from having and maintaining our pearly whites.
We all want sparkly white teeth! Your smile is often times the first thing someone notices when they look at you so it makes sense to want to keep your teeth in tip top shape. However, there are some culprits that may prevent us from having and maintaining our pearly whites.
The Main Culprits to a White Smile:
These are some of the biggest contributors to our smiles fading over time.
Coffee
Tea
Red Wine
Soda
Smoking
I am a BIG tea lover. I have a cup several times per day so it goes without saying that my teeth gets stained pretty quickly. Here are some products (some of which I use) that helps in keeping your teeth perfectly white:
Whitening ToothPaste - These toothpastes contain 1-1.5% carbide peroxide (a whitening agent) that is capable of removing surface stains. Some of my favorite whitening toothpastes are Crest 3D White, Crest 3D White Brilliance, Sensodyne true White (for the with sensitive teeth).
Whitening Strips and Gels - Whitening strips and gels contain a concentration of carbamine peroxide roughly six times stronger than toothpastes (6-10%). This amount of solution is enough to start penetrating your dental pores and lifting deeper stains. Although stronger than whitening toothpastes, strips and gels need to be applied carefully and evenly. Some of these strips and gels (and there are many) include Crest White Strips, Smile Brilliant, Bright White to name a few.
Professional Teeth Whitening - Custom whitening trays can be done by your dentist. These whitening systems usually contain an even stronger solution of carbamide peroxide (10-15%). You get the trays to take home and use as directed. However, the most efficient, fast, and safest way to whiten you teeth is at a dentist’s office. With in-office treatment, the dentist uses a solution that usually contains ~35% carbide peroxide to get you instantly white teeth.
Tips for Maintaining Your Pearly Whites:
Now that you have obtained your pearly whites, you will want them to remain this way. A few things you can do to minimize staining are:
Instead of coffee, tea, red wine and other beverages that stain your teeth, try drinking more water or other clear drinks as alternatives.
If you are like me and must have tea (or coffee) try drinking from a straw. This will reduce the surface area that the beverage covers and thus reduce staining.
Brush daily (at least 2x) with a whitening toothpaste, and floss!
See your dentist regularly.