It’s important not to forget about your teeth when taking care of your overall health this winter.
A person’s smile is often the first thing we notice when interacting with other people, so it makes sense that we want to keep it bright and sparkling. Here are a few tips and tricks from the professionals to help maintain a white smile.
Avoid things that stain teeth
If you are wanting to avoid a dull smile, it’s important to try and avoid or limit consuming anything that can stain your teeth. These include dark coloured foods and drinks such as:
-Coffee and Tea
-Red Wine
-Beetroot
-Curries
-Dark Berries
Smoking and chewing tobacco is also a big contributor to teeth stains, so quitting will not only improve your overall health but help to reduce staining on your teeth.
Finding teeth friendly alternatives
You can still enjoy eating and drinking, try these alternatives to help avoid stains:
-Instead of a red wine, perhaps try white wine or a rosé.
-Try herbal infusion teas instead of darker teas
-Strawberries, and citrus fruits
-Seeds and nuts
-Cheese, milk and other dairy products containing calcium
-Apples, carrots and celery
If you would still prefer to have a red wine, or darker foods, we recommend brushing about an hour before consuming, to remove plaque that the stains cling to. We also recommend washing down with water after drinking red wine or eating these foods so the stains don’t have time to stick to your teeth.
In-chair and take-home whitening
If you would still like an even brighter and whiter smile, consider coming in for a consultation with one of our dentists to decide whether you would be a suitable candidate for teeth whitening. Not everyone is suitable for teeth whitening, so it is important for you to come in and have your dentist properly assess.
After your oral examination and a professional clean, if your dentist has advised you are okay to go ahead with whitening they will book you in for an appointment about an hour long. If you would like a take home whitening kit, we would need to book a little bit longer.
During your appointment, the dentist will place a protective barrier over your gums before placing the whitening gel on your teeth. The whitening gel is UV activated so after the gel is placed a blue light is switched on for 15 minute increments.
If you are getting the take home whitening kit, we will take moulds of your teeth so we can design customised trays for you to take home. The kit will also come with whitening gel and detailed instructions on how to get the best results from your take home kit.
Don’t wait, book in now with one of our friendly dentists at Pimpama City Dental Centre for an oral examination to assess whether you are a suitable candidate for whitening.