How to Whiten Teeth – Complete Guide

How to Whiten Teeth – Complete Guide

28th May 2021

Do you often find yourself Googling how to use Photoshop to whiten your teeth in pictures?

Do you skip family gatherings to avoid taunts about your stained teeth?

Are you afraid of interviews because prospective employers might consider you unhygienic because of your yellow teeth?

Well, you don’t have to live life with hesitation anymore.

You can get your pearly white smile back.

And we have all the information that you need about teeth whitening in this guide right here.

But before that, here’s a little background information about how and why your teeth turn yellow.

Why Do Your Teeth Turn Yellow?

The outermost layer of your teeth, the enamel, is a transparent covering that protects your teeth from plaque, bacteria, acids, and other sorts of damage.

But it stains easily.

What you eat and drink can stain your teeth and make them look yellow or even brownish.

Remember how the curry made your teeth look yellow, and everyone knew what you had for lunch?

Some food items (coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco) also damage the enamel. When the enamel erodes, the inner layer called dentin becomes visible. Now, this layer has a naturally yellow hue, and thus, when the dentin starts to get visible, your teeth look yellow.

And the staining food items in your diet can also further stain the dentin.

Now that you know what causes discoloration of your teeth let’s move forward and see…

What Are Your Options For Teeth Whitening?

Below we have discussed the four types of teeth whitening options.

Based on the gravity of your dental condition, a dentist will be able to help you choose the suitable option.

Prevention

Prevention always is better than cure.

While discussing why your teeth turn yellow, we mentioned that food items are the biggest culprits.

With certain lifestyle changes, you can easily prevent your teeth from losing their white shine.

Are your teeth just beginning to discolour?

You can prevent further damage or even undo the damage done.

How?

By eliminating the following products from your diet:

• Tobacco,
• Tea,
• Coffee,
• Curry,
• Soy sauce,
• Red Wine,
• Cranberry, blueberry, or grape juice,
• Tomato-based sauces,
• Beetroot,
• Berries,
• Balsamic vinegar.

Try these options:

Brush your teeth or rinse your mouth immediately after consuming any of the teeth staining products.
Use a straw (preferably a reusable, metal straw) for drinking liquids.
Try chewing gum, which can increase the production of saliva, which, in turn, would cleanse your mouth.
Quit smoking or limit your consumption of tobacco.
You should also practice proper oral hygiene to ensure your enamel doesn’t erode.

Home Remedies

Natural doesn’t always mean harmless.

There are a lot of home remedies that people suggest to ‘naturally’ whiten your teeth. However, most of them are NOT safe. Using certain ingredients can do more harm to your teeth than good.

Some home remedies to AVOID include those with the following ingredients:

• Lemon
• Strawberries,
• Activated charcoal,
• Sea salt,
• Cider vinegar,
• Wood ash.

These ingredients are abrasive for your teeth or acidic, which can be detrimental to your dental and oral health.

However, there is one home remedy that you can use to whiten your teeth. It involves brushing your teeth with baking soda. With a score of 7 out of 269 on the Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) scale, baking soda is safe and not dangerously abrasive for your teeth.

Though, remember to be gentle while brushing with baking soda.

However, there is one home remedy that you can use to whiten your teeth. It involves brushing your teeth with baking soda. With a score of 7 out of 269 on the Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) scale, baking soda is safe and not dangerously abrasive for your teeth.

Though, remember to be gentle while brushing with baking soda.

You’ll get what you pay for.

There are plenty of teeth whitening products available in the market today. While all the products promise a snowy white smile, take those claims with a pinch of salt.

Also, don’t expect immediate or long-lasting results.

Some popular teeth whitening products include:

Whitening Strips: The strips can be folded to match the shape of your teeth and placed over your teeth to whiten the teeth using bleach.
Whitening Toothpaste: These kinds of toothpaste contain low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, which lightens teeth. Expect to see your teeth get one to two shades lighter with regular use. However, these kinds of toothpaste can sometimes be abrasive and lead to enamel erosion. An eroded enamel will make your teeth weak and your dentin visible, leaving you with unhealthy, yellow-looking teeth in the long run.
Whitening Rinses: Like whitening toothpaste, whitening rinses also contain hydrogen peroxide, which can lighten your teeth by one or two shades. You can start seeing results after rinsing your mouth twice for 60 seconds each day, for 90 days.
Before using any cosmetic teeth whitening product at home, make sure you consult a dentist. Not every product is suitable for everyone. Using the wrong product can cause sensitivity, enamel erosion, and other dental issues.

Professional Procedures

Get the job done by those who are best at it.

Professional procedures performed by expert dentists can give you a visible white smile that is six to seven shades lighter than your current yellow/brown teeth.

At Natural Smiles, we offer teeth whitening either using teeth whitening gels or using the laser treatment.

In the procedure using teeth whitening gel, your dental professional will apply a layer of the gel (containing between 15% to 43% peroxide).

The gel is left on your teeth for 20-25 minutes before being suctioned off. The process is then repeated to offer sparkling results.

When using the laser teeth whitening procedure, a gel containing hydrogen peroxide is applied over the teeth, and then a special laser light is aimed at the teeth for teeth whitening. This procedure requires less than an hour to complete.

Both these methods are free from any side effects and are painless.

Some patients have reported sensitivity issues with the teeth whitening gel procedure. However, it is only a temporary concern (it goes away within 24 hours). And it can also be avoided by using generous layers of anti-sensitivity gel.

Walk Towards A White And Confident Smile Today

Depending on the condition of your teeth, you can use any of the methods mentioned above.

• To reverse the beginning of teeth discolouration: Use prevention techniques.
• For minor discolouration: Try home remedies.
• For temporary, low-cost, at-home teeth whitening: Use cosmetic products.
• For a long-lasting result and in case of significant teeth discolouration: Contact us at Natural Smiles to get professional teeth whitening.
• Don’t wait anymore and get your lost white smile and self-confidence back today.