The Do’s and Don’t s for a Bright Smile

1. Avoid foods and beverages that contain staining particles. Coffee, red wine, soft drinks, tea, and cranberry juice are the common reasons teeth get stained.  Soy sauce and blueberries can also stain your teeth. Try and keep their consumption to a minimum.
2. Avoid smoking. The smoke contains small tar particles that make their way into the teeth.
3. Use a straw to drink staining beverages. Drinking from a straw reduces the exposure of the teeth to the staining liquid.
4. Rinse with water well after having acidic food and beverage. Acids can dissolve the outer tooth layer, the enamel, and make it rough. This way stains will get caught in the rough spots creating dark patches on your tooth.
5. Brush your teeth immediately after eating. It will prevent the accumulation of stains on the teeth.
6. Eat apples or raw vegetables after having staining food or beverage.  The abrasive food will clean the tooth surfaces.
7. Keep your tooth brush in a great shape. This way you can be sure that you will get a good clean every time you brush.
8. Avoid using lipstick colors that make your teeth seem yellow. The contrast between a red lipstick with a  blue undertone and the color of your teeth, can highlight yellow tones. Try different shades of lipstick under the same lighting you have at work, to see which one gives your teeth the best frame.
9. Choose off-white clothing. Bright white clothing near the face, makes teeth appear more yellow that they really are. This can be very important for brides or those selecting an outfit for a photo session.
10. Have a professional whitening treatment. There is a large number of over-the-counter whitening toothpastes, gels, trays, and strips. But while they are inexpensive, they are not as effective as the materials available to Dr. Kaufman. The over the counter products act by removing the stains rather than by changing the color of teeth.  Used excessively the over the counter products can damage and deplete the enamel layer.

A beautiful bright smile can make a great impression. There are many underlying causes for the color of your teeth and each problem has a different solution.  For example a root canal treatment or medications can discolor your teeth. This kind of discoloration will not change after using an over the counter product. On the contrary, whitening the adjacent teeth will only outline the darker tooth.

Whitening may not be for you if you have crowns or fillings. This is why it is important to have your teeth examined, to find what is the best way for you to achieve a bright smile. Dr. Kaufman at Tooronga Family dentistry can provide you with individualized recommendations based on the results of your dental exam and match the right whitening treatment for you. If you would like to know more about tooth whitening, please call Tooronga Family Dentistry, Phone number 98227006