4 Tips for Whiter, Brighter Teeth

Pearly white teeth are highly sought after. For better or worse, they're perceived as a sign of beauty and great dental health. Your teeth naturally become yellow or beige-tinted as you age because the enamel of your teeth thins to show the more richly pigmented dentin underneath. However, you can still achieve a white smile with a little extra effort. Here are five tips to get the bright smile you desire.

1. Stop Grinding Your Teeth

Grinding your teeth can cause your enamel to wear down faster. This can lead to unsightly hairline cracks, and it can also cause your teeth to turn yellow prematurely. But not everyone suffers grinding because of the same cause. When you understand the cause of your teeth grinding, you can better treat it.

If you grind your teeth due to stress, work on identifying and eliminating stressors from your life. But some stressors can't be eliminated. In which case, you should develop healthy coping mechanisms that don't involve grinding your teeth. Many people find meditation and daily exercise soothing.

Also, if you grind your teeth while you're asleep at night, your dentist can make you a prescription mouth guard to wear overnight.

2. Avoid Foods and Activities That Cause Staining

Some tooth yellowing is unavoidable, but lifestyle choices can also affect the appearance of your teeth. Dark-colored beverages can cause stains to develop on your tooth enamel over time. Caffeinated beverages like coffee, black tea, and cola are common culprits. Wine is another common cause of staining; both red and white wine can turn your teeth yellow since white wine is highly acidic.

Food can also stain your teeth, especially richly colored foods such as tomato-based sauces and berries. While you don't need to cut these foods out of your diet entirely, you should limit your consumption and rinse or brush your teeth thoroughly after partaking. Smoking cigarettes can also stain your teeth. Quitting smoking is a great way to protect both your teeth and your overall health.

3. Choose Tooth-Colored Composite Crowns and Fillings

Proper oral hygiene can ensure your teeth stay healthy and strong. Unfortunately, even people who take excellent care of their teeth sometimes develop cavities or get into accidents that cause tooth damage. If your dentist recommends fillings or a dental crown to treat your tooth decay, request that they use tooth-colored material.

Tooth-colored composite fillings are made from silica fillers and resin. They're made to match the color of your natural teeth, so your fillings blend seamlessly into the rest of your mouth. Contrast this with standard amalgam fillings, which are visibly black or silver against your white teeth. Tooth-colored crowns are made by covering a standard metal crown with durable ceramic.

4. Have Your Teeth Professionally Whitened

Preventative techniques are excellent for keeping stains at bay, but once your teeth are already yellowed, you need a whitening treatment to restore them.

You can find tooth whitening treatments at any drug store, but the kits sold over the counter are not as powerful as the treatments your dentist has at their disposal. Professional tooth bleaching solutions contain higher concentrations of peroxide, the whitening agent.

If you have dental crowns and fillings in your molars, you are still an excellent candidate for teeth whitening treatment. Your appointment may take anywhere from half an hour to two hours, and you may need to return for additional treatments, depending on your desired level of tooth lightening.

Contact Royal Oak Dental to make an appointment today. We'll help you schedule a consultation for teeth whitening, and we offer both in-office and home-based whitening treatments. Get the white teeth you've always wanted and feel confident in your smile once again.