Give your tongue a few brushes or use a tongue scraper to clean your tongue after you’re done with your teeth. Regular toothbrushes are fine, but electric toothbrushes can make it easier to maintain a proper brushing technique. They won’t make your teeth cleaner or anything, but they don’t require as much effort to use correctly. [2] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Brushing more than twice a day can actually wear the enamel on your teeth down. Your teeth won’t get cleaner if you brush too hard or too often.
While you can’t replace enamel, fluoride can help strengthen weakened enamel. This will make your teeth whiter, even though you aren’t technically bringing any enamel back. [4] X Expert Source Tu Anh Vu, DMDBoard Certified Dentist Expert Interview. 10 April 2020. If you have sensitive teeth, feel free to opt for a fluoridated toothpaste designed specifically for sensitive teeth. When it comes to the flavor, style, and texture of the toothpaste, it’s entirely a matter of personal preference. None of these qualities impact the toothpaste’s ability to clean your teeth so long as the toothpaste has fluoride in it. There isn’t much evidence that whitening toothpaste is particularly productive. There’s nothing wrong with using it, but don’t get upset if you don’t see major results. [5] X Trustworthy Source University of Rochester Medical Center Leading academic medical center in the U. S. focused on clinical care and research Go to source
A lot of people think flossing is optional, but it’s not. Flossing is essential when it comes to protecting your teeth and keeping them shiny and white! If your gums bleed when you floss, it means your gums are inflamed. This is basically a form of gum disease, but it may go away on its own with regular flossing and brushing. If you keep bleeding every time you floss, contact your dentist and go in to have them look at your gums.
Mouthwash comes in two styles: cosmetic and therapeutic. Cosmetic mouthwash has hydrogen peroxide to help whiten teeth, but there isn’t a lot of evidence that it helps with this. Therapeutic mouthwashes are designed to curb bad breath. Either option is fine. Mouthwash will help your teeth stay healthy and clean, but it isn’t a replacement for brushing or flossing. If your mouth has a tendency to dry out over the course of the day, mouthwash may help with this.
The strips won’t whiten restorative work anyway, so any crowns or implants will stand out more if you use whitening strips.
Depending on the brand and style of whitening strips you use, you’ll need to leave them on for anywhere from 5 to 45 minutes. Some brands of whitening strips need to be reapplied every day for up to a week.
Anything involving citrus is going to eat away at your natural enamel, which can weaken your teeth over time. Strawberries are a popular whitening method, but they don’t actually do anything. [12] X Research source Hydrogen peroxide can irritate your gums and damage the roots of your teeth. Dentists do use peroxide for whitening treatments, but it’s a very unique concentration and formula that you can’t mix at home. Turmeric probably won’t harm anything, but there’s not a lot of evidence that it does anything for the whiteness of your teeth. There’s no evidence that coconut oil or oil pulling have any impact on the whiteness of teeth. [13] X Trustworthy Source Nature Respected Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal Go to source
The one exception is water. Water naturally has trace amounts of fluoride in it, which is good for your teeth.
You can dilute coffee with cream or milk to reduce the odds that it stains your teeth. Drinking rosé or white wine instead of red wine will help for similar reasons. Soy sauce, curry, and tomato sauce will also cause teeth to stain. These things are fine in moderation, but you may want to rinse your mouth out after eating anything with one of these ingredients in it. [16] X Research source
If you use gum with sugar in it, the sugar can wear away your teeth’s enamel which can further expose the yellow dentin underneath.
There are prescription medications, nicotine patches, nicotine gum, and other options available. Quitting is hard, but it’s well worth it if you want your fabulous smile back!
At a dental cleaning, your dentist or hygienist will physically remove any plaque, tartar, and food debris. Then, they’ll polish your teeth and remove any stains. This process is painless, and there’s no good substitute, so don’t skip your dental appointments!
This is always going to be more effective than using at-home whitening strips since a dentist will be able to oversee the treatment and customize it for your teeth. Unfortunately, dental insurance rarely covers whitening procedures since they’re cosmetic.
At first, it may feel a little weird wearing a mouth guard at night. Stick with it, though! You’ll get used to it after a few nights.
Veneers can cost $400-4,000 a tooth depending on the specific type of material you choose and the dentist performing the work. [23] X Research source
