Sparkling white teeth are usually thought of as a sign of youth or cleanliness so most of us would like whiter teeth.  Right?
Here are some things you can do to help yourself:

  1. Brush thoroughly and often if you like to drink coffee, tea, red wine, dark berry drinks or dark sodas.  This is pretty obvious.
  2. Come in for your regular six-month cleaning.  The paste we use removes most of the surface stains on your teeth and your smile will appear whiter in one visit.  It also opens up the “pores” in the enamel so whiteners work better.
  3. You can use a straw when you’re drinking dark drinks.  The dark liquid will bypass your teeth.  Again, pretty obvious.
  4. Whitening strips work “ok”.  However, they are not customized and a bit of a nuisance to wear so they can discourage a good outcome.
  5. Professional whitening whether in-office or take home is best.  They are stronger in concentration and require much less effort from the patient.

Have you ever wondered if a whitener will lighten a dental restoration? 
If it is a veneer it can lighten the part of the natural tooth that it is adhered to and others around it.  This can sometimes give the appearance of the veneer being lighter.
When you do this you have to keep an eye on it so you don’t get too much contrast.  Also if you have bonding or white fillings it can definitely clean staining in and around them.  Let us know if you’d like a consult to see if this something that applies to you.
Already Whitened?
For those of you that have already whitened your teeth, our doctors have some recommendations to keep your new smile bright and beautiful after they’ve been professionally whitened.

  1. Avoid dark-colored foods and beverages for at least an hour or two after your whitening treatment.  Especially if they are also acidic – like wine, fruit juices and sodas.
  2. Some foods that tend to stain your teeth are hot tea, more so than cold tea, red wine, coffee and dark berry juices such as grape and cranberry juice.  To help avoid them you can use a straw too.
  3. Obviously, practice good oral hygiene, brush and floss after meals and before bedtime. Remember to get a professional cleaning twice a year and then apply your “take home” professional whitening gel in the days following your cleaning.  This will give you an amazing boost.

Best Teeth Whitener Trick Ever!
Finally, for one the best tricks of all, use your take home whitening kit just before you go out or want to look especially good! For those of you familiar with whiteners you know that your teeth are their absolute whitest right after you take your bleaching trays off. So, when you’re getting ready or waiting to meet up, wear your whitener trays and remove them just before you show. Your teeth will look their very best for the next hour or two and dazzle everyone… (more)
I hope this helps! This is why our “Smiles by CDA” patients look so amazing. Give us a call 210-951-4444 (Medical Center) 210-942-5047 (Alamo Ranch) if you have any questions or you can Google us to see some pictures at 33smile.
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