We all have looked in the mirror and noticed that our teeth’s color is not as white as other people’s, that is due tooth stains. This is actually pretty normal as there are several reasons and causes why our pearly whites might be some shades darker.
In today’s article, we shall see what causes stains as well as providing some tips to keeping those pesky stains away thanks to our Los Algodones dentists.
What foods can cause tooth stains?
This is a popular question we get from people that want to keep their teeth as white as they can be.
The answer is that anything that boasts a dark color has the potential to stain your teeth. As to give a small example, here is some of the most common perpetrators:
- Coffee and tea.
- Pasta Sauce and curry.
- Berries.
- Wine.
Of course, we are not saying that these are the only ones nor that you should cut back all of those entirely.
The key towards a healthy, white smile is that you take care of it every day!
Tips to prevent tooth stains
Anything that can brush and rinse off any leftover food from your teeth is a good option. As such we are giving you tips that not only cover that but also some creative ones to add to the bunch:
- Make sure to drink water between foods. Either it is solids or liquids, you want to rinse it off with water. Water will not only help washing away dark pigments but also add some fluoride to your diet to help your tooth enamel stay strong.
- Using a straw minimizes the contact with your teeth. By drinking through a straw, there is no necessity for the beverage to be directly hit your teeth. As such no dark pigments come in contact with your pearly whites!
- Brush as much as necessary. Though take into account not to brush hard, but with gentle and circular strokes. Also make sure to wait 30 minutes if you had just eaten something, as acidic foods can wear down the tooth enamel momentarily.
- Visit your dentists twice a year. Getting a professional cleaning every six months helps a whole ton! The dentist will be able to tell you if you have been neglecting certain spots so you will learn from that. Also you can ask and receive all sorts of tips to prevent tooth stains far more easier.
- Avoid smoking and tobacco products. These products not only boast dark pigments, but can also make gum disease, cancer and other dental issues far easier to appear.
Ways to regain that white shine
If you wish your teeth to be some shades lighter, then you have your mind set on whitening methods. Here our Los Algodones Dentists give you the three most popular choices:
At-Home Whitening Kits. They can be found in drugstores and yield results after three weeks. Although the results are not immediate, you can typically achieve two to three shades lighter on your teeth.
Whitening Toothpastes. Toothpastes work similarly like whitening kits. They have a bleaching agent safe for use that helps rubbing off stains. Like whitening kits, they take some weeks before you can see results.
Tooth Whitening at the office. By far the most efficient treatment in terms of speed and time. The dentist, by using a highly concentrated agent, cleans your teeth from stains while also protecting your gums. The results from a tooth whitening treatment are much higher and effective than any other method.