Tips For A White Smile

A white smile is something to open wide about due to the added confidence that it can give. Many people avoid smiling fully in photographs or avoid smiling completely if they think that their teeth are not white enough.

Certain foods can stain our teeth easily, especially when they are consumed daily or frequently. Foods such as coffee, tea, wine and fruit juices are examples of foods that can stain teeth in a short amount of time, especially when consumed frequently.

By following a few tips, you can limit the amount of stain while still enjoying your favourite foods, if you cannot give them up completely.

Avoid Or Limit Certain Foods

Avoiding or limiting consumption of dark coloured foods and drinks can help to avoid additional staining of the teeth. Items like soy sauce, dark teas, red wine and coffee can easily stain the teeth over time.

Some of these foods may also be acidic in nature, which is damaging to the tooth’s enamel. With frequent exposure to acidic drinks like coffee, fruit juices, colas, the tooth’s enamel begins to thin and weaken. The thinning of enamel will allow the underlying darker dentin of the tooth to show through. This will make your teeth appear darkened due to the loss of tooth enamel. At this point, the only option is to use cosmetic dental procedures such as dental veneers to help restore whiteness of the teeth.

Drink Water Frequently

After consuming dark coloured or acidic foods, it is helpful to rinse or flush your mouth out with unflavoured water. The water is able to wash away food residue that may be acidic in nature or stain causing. Remember to always rinse or flush your mouth out right after these type of meals. Waiting too long, gives the acids a longer duration with teeth which will result in acid wear and possibly tooth sensitivity.

Quit Smoking

Smoking results in heavy staining, especially if smoking is frequently throughout the day. When smoke is blown out of the mouth, the smoke makes contact with the back of the teeth first, then makes its way out of the mouth. Over time, the back of the teeth will become heavily stained and the smoke will continue to make its way around the sides and front of the teeth. Removing stain that is related to smoking may take more than one dental appointment to effectively remove.

Add Crunchy Foods

Foods that pack a crunch like celery, apples and carrots help to remove surface stains due to their cleaning nature. Try eating foods like these at the end of your meal so that they can help to remove leftover food residue. Don’t forget to rinse your mouth after eating these crunchy foods since apples are acidic in nature.

By following these simple tips, you can help to limit further staining and protect your teeth from acid wear or erosion. If you cannot give up certain foods, remember to always rinse or flush afterwards.