How to whiten and brighten your smile

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It’s important to keep teeth looking nice and bright. If your smile is the first thing people notice about you, then it’s worth caring for! Whether you use teeth whitening products in your home or visit your dentist’s office, there are many different ways to brighten and whiten your smile.

Find out how to whiten your smile at home, what you need to know about laser teeth whitening and professional teeth cleaning.

Home Whitening Treatments

Home teeth whitening kits are becoming more common as people look for ways they can brighten their smile without having to make an appointment with a dentist or orthodontist. The most popular product on the market is Strips or Gels that you simply apply to your teeth and either rinse off after a few minutes or wait for them to dry and then go about your day as normal.

Research shows these products can be effective in whitening one’s teeth by several shades within a week depending on how used to having white teeth they are. The most important thing to remember if you decide to use home teeth whitening kits is that the results will only last for so long since once you stop using the product your body reverts back to its normal chemical processes which darken your tooth enamel again. Therefore it’s recommended to set up an appointment with your dentist after using a kit to make sure your teeth remain at their whitened state or brighter. Furthermore, home treatments can actually harm your teeth, so it’s always advised to speak to a dentist before carrying out any at home methods.

Tooth bleaching is the process of removing stains and discolouration from your teeth and can be done either at the dentist or in a dental tray you fill yourself and use at home over time. 

Professional Treatments

While over-the-counter trays can be a good place to start if you’re unsure about bleaching your teeth, some people prefer going straight for professional treatment in their dentist’s office.

If you do decide to have a dentist perform tooth bleaching, there are several factors they’ll take into account when determining how long the procedure will last and what you’ll need to do to keep your teeth looking bright and white. For example, if you have a lot of dark stains on your front teeth then the process might take longer than that for someone who has just one or two yellowing spots in the back of their mouth.

Most dentists will use either lasers or special trays filled with bleaching gels to lighten your teeth. Laser bleaching works by using a laser to activate the peroxide in the gel and make it more powerful, whereas trays require you to place bleaching solutions inside and wear them for hours or overnight until your teeth are bright again.

Within a couple of days after bleaching your teeth, you will start to see them appear whiter and brighter than they were before. The results should last for several months to even years depending on how often you drink coffee, tea or red wine and how much staining has built up over the years, which brings us to the next point.

Be careful with what you drink and eat

If you’re looking for a long term solution to teeth whitening, make sure to pay attention to the kinds of food and drinks you consume while wearing your trays or after bleaching treatments.

Cut back on drinks with high acidity levels like soda and orange juice, which can cause staining if consumed in excess. Instead, use water to rinse your mouth after drinking coffee, tea or red wine. However, be also careful not to drink too much tea as it can stain your teeth.

If you’d like to whiten your teeth but cannot afford the cost of dentist appointments or over-the-counter products, there are some alternatives you can try at home. Make sure to visit your dentist every six months for a teeth cleaning and check-up. This way you can prevent cavities before they start and keep your pearly whites looking bright all year long.

The first thing people notice about you is your smile, so it’s important to keep it looking bright and white. By following some of the steps above, there are several ways to whiten and brighten your teeth at home or in a dental office.

Written by Megan Taylor
Megan is a beauty expert who is passionate about all things makeup and glam! Her love for makeup has brought her to become a beauty pro at Glamour Garden Cosmetics.