Bright, White Smile

Bright, White Smile
Posted on 10/17/2017
Bright, White Smile

The holidays are approaching and for many of us that means upcoming photo opportunities. If you are like me, that has me looking at what I can do to improve my appearance. Spending a little more time in the gym, maybe a little hair color to cover some grays, and brightening my smile.

I love to brighten my smile with our take-home whitening kits. I just use them 2-3 times and can’t help but smile big! However, I cannot recommend using whitening agents daily. So, how can you keep your smile bright?

It sounds simple, but while the ADA recommends brushing your teeth two times daily for two minutes each time, adding in a THIRD time of daily brushing goes the distance to reduce stain buildup. You should also clean in-between your teeth at least once every day, as tartar likes to build-up in this area. And tartar attracts stain like crazy! So, if you are already brushing three times daily and flossing every day, what other simple steps can you do?

 

  • Drink your daily coffee or tea in the morning before brushing your teeth. Leave that biofilm on your teeth until after you have eaten breakfast, it will reduce your cavity risk and just might reduce stain buildup. Then, after you finish breakfast and drink that last sip of java, brush your teeth. As a bonus, this has also helped me decrease my coffee consumption.
  • Make sure to eat calcium-rich foods daily, to strengthen your enamel. Switch up lettuce for spinach a few times during your week as well; foods high in arginine can help reduce your cavity risk. If you have a snack in the middle of your day, have a small piece of cheese to reduce the acid levels in your mouth.
  • Reduce consumption of staining beverages, such as wine (both red and white wine stain teeth), all colors of juices and soda pop, and tea. When you do enjoy these beverages, make sure that it is during your mealtime.
  • Avoid tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.
  • When you do have the occasional afternoon coffee or tea, drink it through a straw! Bypass the teeth and reduce your stain buildup. Just make sure that your drink is not too hot, as that is not good for your esophagus.

Enjoy your beautiful smile!

~ Dr. Melanie Steckelberg

We are happy to announce that we are accepting new patients. So be sure to think of Steckelberg Dental when talking about teeth with your friends and family.