Tooth Whitening Is Not a Subsitute for Good Dental Care

Tooth Whitening Is Not a Subsitute for Good Dental Care

Many consumers are choosing to have their teeth whitened to improve their smile and help their teeth regain their pearly white stage. Many people don’t understand that bleaching your teeth is simply cosmetic. The results do not improve the health of your teeth at all, they simply remove stains on the outside of your teeth to allow the light in.

Although teeth whitening might improve both your smile and your self esteem, there are many other things you should do to keep your smile good looking and healthy. Let’s talk about some things we can do to keep out teeth from major dental repair.

It is important to understand how food, drinks, and tobacco affect your teeth. Here’s a rule of thumb to keep in mind- if its not good for the rest of your body, its probably not good for your teeth either.

Sugary drinks are one example that fit right into that category. The sugar from a soda or bottle of juice will stick to your teeth and can cause cavities. A better option is to drink water.

It’s natural and won’t damage your teeth at all. It can even act as floss when eating or drinking those things with lots of sugar. After a bite of a Twinkie, take a swig of water to immediately wipe that sugar off your teeth. Many cities even add fluoride to their water so drinking tap water can be especially beneficial to your mouth.

Using a straw to drink these types of sugary sodas and juices will also help the sugar avoid your teeth and go straight to your stomach. Consider avoiding those beverages with sugar in them completely. Remember that most red wines will also stain your teeth as well.

You can also use fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash to keep your teeth healthy and clean. Fluoride is a major key to avoiding cavities altogether and just a small amount each day will help ward them off.

Another tip, although it may be obvious, is to brush and floss. Dentists encourage brushing for one minute twice a day with a toothpaste that has fluoride in it. When it comes to flossing, most people forget the teeth in the back of the mouth, which can be the most important to floss.

Many people don’t know and understand the basics of brushing and flossing. When you visit your dentist every six months, ask for a short lesson on brushing and flossing. Their simple advice can help a lot in the long run.

As mentioned above, you should be seeing your professional dentist every six months, for a check up and cleaning. Having the plaque removed every six months will keep your teeth shiny and more importantly healthy. Keeping up on your dental work will help you avoid tooth aches and other disasters that happen when you avoid the dentist.

Although most people don’t realize it, your toothbrush can play a major role in the overall health of your teeth. Replace your brush every three months for the best results.

What Chemicals Are Used In Teeth Whitening and Bleaching?

Teeth bleaching or whitening is becoming more popular as more consumers worry about their appearance, especially their smile. Having a white smile not only changes the way a person will feel about themselves, but how others look at them as well.

There are more options to teeth bleaching today than ever. The chemicals and prices vary in huge differences and it might be hard to know which is the best teeth whitening option for you.

Let’s first discuss the major active ingredient in teeth bleaching and whitening. The bleaching agent is called hydrogen peroxide, also known as carbamide peroxide. When using an over the counter product, the percentage of hydrogen peroxide percentage is around  three percent.

The ingredient is active, just not at major intensity. Whitening your teeth with an over the counter procedure will take longer to see noticeable results. This procedure must be repeated much more often to keep the result of pearly whites.

The cost is generally affordable for all and can range anywhere from ten dollars to one hundred dollars. The cost of having your teeth whitened by a dentist office are much more, but there is good reason.

Where your over the counter teeth whiteners only have about three percent hydrogen peroxide, you dentist can use a more concentrated edition with closer to thirty to forty percent. The results are much different as well.

With teeth bleaching performed by a dentist, the results will start to show in around an hour, much different than two weeks. This procedure will only need to be repeated every couple of years, depending on the teeth staining foods you eat.

There is another option that falls right in the middle of the first two described. By visiting your dentist, they can have a mold made of your teeth. A mouthpiece will be created to fit your mouth almost perfectly.

Once your mouthpiece is ready, the dentist will send the bleaching gel home with you to use in your mouthpiece on you own time and in the comfort of your own home. The bleaching solution is not as strong as your dentist would use in his office, but much stronger than an over the counter box can provide.

This cost is also right in the middle of the other two. With the choices available through your dentist and over the counter, you should be able to find a bleaching solution for your white teeth needs.

Evaluate the difference in time of application and results, cost of results and re-application and also the amount of chemicals being used in each procedure. There may be one that will feel more comfortable to you. It may be that you want small results for a small price, or immediate long lasting results for a higher end price.

Consider all of your options before beginning any teeth whitening procedure. Remember that the pain is minimal and much different from many other dental procedures. A fear of the dentist (or a fear of the cost of porcelain veneers in New York) should not hold those hoping to have white teeth from contacting their dentish about teeth bleaching.