Want to know the secret to having a whiter healthier smile? If you haven’t found luck with over-the-counter whitening products, our dentist may recommend custom teeth whitening trays you can use from the comfort of your own home. Wondering how to whiten teeth in one day? We also offer professional teeth whitening in our office to help you whiten teeth by several shades in one appointment. Continue reading to learn the best way to whiten teeth.
Best Ways to Whiten Teeth
A teeth whitening dentist can help you find the best way to whiten teeth. We recommend our custom teeth whitening trays or in-office treatment for professional results. See our list below for the 5 ways to whiten teeth:
- Avoid staining foods and drinks
- Brush and floss daily
- Schedule your teeth cleaning
- Ask about professional teeth whitening
- Ask about dental crowns and veneers
Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks
If you want to keep a naturally white smile, you’ll want to limit certain foods and drinks. Coffee is one of the biggest culprits behind . While we understand that coffee provides that much-needed boost of energy as you’re trying to get out the door, it can also stain teeth over time.
Even if you don’t stop drinking coffee completely, you might want to cut down on how much you drink each day. Other foods that stain teeth include wine, tea, tomato sauce, and berries.
Brush and Floss Daily
Plaque is an invisible film of bacteria that lives on your teeth. Over time, plaque buildup can increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Hardened plaque (tartar) can also give your teeth a yellow or brown-colored tinge. One of the best ways to protect your white smile is to brush twice a day and floss once daily.
Most dentists agree that you’ll need to brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes at a time. If we still find plenty of plaque and tartar on your teeth, we may recommend adding a fluoride mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine.
Schedule Your Teeth Cleaning
Brushing and flossing your teeth at home isn’t enough to fully protect oral health. You’ll also need to make sure you schedule a teeth cleaning with our office to remove plaque and tartar from teeth. Only a dental professional will be able to remove tartar from teeth.
If you have a lot of tartar buildup, your smile will look slightly whiter after your appointment. Your dental hygienist will use a tool called a scaler to gently scrape plaque and tartar from teeth.
Get Professional Teeth Whitening
Interested in ? Your dentist may recommend custom teeth whitening trays to help you achieve a whiter smile. First, we’ll need to take impressions of your teeth to send to the lab. When you come back for your second appointment, your teeth whitening tray will be ready. Your teeth whitening dentist may slightly adjust the fit of your tray so it fits comfortably. We also offer in-office teeth whitening.
READ MORE: Benefits of In-Office Teeth Whitening >>
Ask about Dental Crowns and Veneers
Each smile is different. If you only need to improve the shade of one tooth, your dentist may recommend dental crowns or porcelain veneers. A dental crown covers the entire visible portion of your tooth above the gum line and can be placed in one appointment.
However, your dentist may recommend porcelain veneers to save as much natural tooth structure as possible. Veneers are wafer-thin porcelain shells we bond to the fronts of your teeth that show when you smile or talk.
Call Us Today!
Dr. Jeff Helmus DDS is a teeth whitening dentist in Wyoming MI. To schedule professional teeth whitening with our office, call River Ridge Dentistry at (616) 538-7320.
[This blog post has been updated.]