Dentist Office vs. Home Treatments to Keep Your Smile Looking White
White teeth are one of the best accessories a gal can wear! Whether you choose to whiten your teeth at home products or get professional dentist whitening treatments, getting a bright smile can make the world of difference in your overall appearance. Instead of spending hours and hours at the dental office each month to get the look you want, you can use these tips to help you learn how to keep your teeth their whitest.
Dental Office Or Salon Whitening or Bleaching Treatments
- In Office Whitening Offers the Quickest, Best Whitening
The best way to start off your teeth whitening venture is to get a professional whitening treatment at your dental office or medical salon. Treatments you’ll find at these locations are safe and very effective. While the professional teeth whitening procedures can be expensive, they are a great way to start off, as they will give you the most dramatic results. Just be sure to tell the doctor if you have any veneers, as the dentist will want to bleach your other teeth to match your veneer shade or it will be uneven and unattractive. - Expect Multiple, Short Treatments
Professional whitening treatments may take multiple visits over weeks or months to see full results, depending on how many shades lighter the teeth need to be. The process is painless, and generally involves the dentist or salon using a tray filled with a whitening paste and leaving it in place for approximately 20 minutes at a time. Whitening too quickly can damage the enamel and leave the teeth sensitive to heat and cold. - Cost Can be High – $$$$
If you’re in a hurry, you can have your teeth professionally whitened in about an hour at the dentist’s for around $300. Your dentist may use a combination of topical bleaching gel and a light activator to get your teeth super-white in no time at all.
At Home Treatments and Preventing Tooth Staining or Yellowing
- Avoid Staining Foods And Drinks
It’s very common for people to get yellow tinted teeth because of the foods and drinks they love. If you drink a lot of coffee, dark wine or dark colas, your teeth will suffer. One way to somewhat bypass this problem is to always use a straw when drinking dark beverages. By using a straw you can often limit the contact between the drink and your teeth. In addition, if you smoke you’ll notice your teeth getting yellow as well. - Brush Or Rinse Often
Good oral hygiene is essential to keeping your teeth white and clean. Be sure you brush and floss at least twice daily to remove plaque on the enamel of each tooth. - At Home Whitening Touch Ups
Even if you get professional whitening treatments, you can start to notice new stain marks within one month or less. So, it’s important to use at-home touch up treatments in between professional treatments. If you smoke or drink dark beverages, you’ll need to touch up more often, with weekly touchups being necessary. Crest makes excellent products for home use, including their famous strips. These strips and other products won’t bleach the teeth as much as a professional treatment but will use peroxide and baking soda to whiten teeth safely. You can also find whitening trays, but they can be very messy and can cause your teeth to become sensitive to cold or hot foods and drinks. - Choosing Lipstick Colors Wisely
If you want your teeth to look whiter, the color of your lipstick can make a difference. Believe it or not, if you wear orangey lipsticks or colors with yellow undertones, your teeth will not look very white. In contrast, if you wear purples, plums or other blue undertoned colors, your teeth will look much whiter!
Much like a spray tan, white teeth can make you look younger, slimmer and simply gorgeous! So, be sure you are not only taking care of your teeth in terms of oral hygiene but are also ensuring they are as white as they can be. You’ll feel more confident with whiter teeth and your smile will get you more attention in your love life, in your career and within your friendships. After all, everyone wants a movie star smile and you can have one with just a few easy steps!