With the summer season comes a bounty of luscious fruits full of juicy color and flavor. It also brings the refreshing cool of sno-cones and popsicles, the sweet fun of cotton candy and the temptation of cold brew coffees or wine at the outdoor cafe.
What do they all have in common?
Their colorful charm of course. Anything with color will transfer to teeth, so by August you might be wondering about DIY teeth whitening options.
We don’t want to burst your purple passion bubble, but the truth is that there is no at home kit that we think does DIY teeth whitening as well as an ounce of prevention and proper oral hygiene. As with so many things in life, moderation really is the key, but here’s what we suggest.
Best Ways to Accomplish DIY Teeth Whitening
There’s no magic here, just good clean dental care. The best DIY teeth whitening is preventative, not post-stain. Here’s how to avoid staining your teeth and save the money you would have spent on that whitening kit for more fun things with your family.
- Moderation: It’s almost always part of the answer. We’d never recommend cutting all the color out of your life, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Try to break it up with more water or a more neutral color food here and there.
- Dilution: Adding a little bit of milk to your coffee, ice or bananas to your berry smoothie can help reduce the intensity of the color and potential to stain teeth.
- Go Natural: If you have a choice between foods that are naturally colorful and food or drinks that are colored with food dye, go with the natural option. You’ll have the added benefit of nutrition often packed naturally into naturally colorful foods.
- Add Leafy Greens: Have a salad! It requires you to chew more, thus producing more saliva to start breaking down your food more efficiently, and can even help keep stains from setting in as you chew the healthy greens.
- Hydrate and Swish: Don’t underestimate the power of water! Keep the blue foods moving on through, and get into the habit of a swish or two after every meal. Bonus, it will help dislodge those berry seeds and plum skins from between your teeth.
- Keep Your Enamel Strong: We can’t say it enough. Brush with fluoride, make sure you get enough calcium in your diet, and watch the level of acidic food and beverages you consume.
- Brush and Floss After Every Meal: Have we mentioned brushing lately? Nip those teeth stains in the bud by brushing them away before they set in.
- Brush with Baking Soda Sometimes: Baking soda can be a great supplement to regular tooth brushing with fluoride toothpaste. We don’t want you to replace your favorite brand, but brushing with baking soda a few times a week can be a great DIY teeth whitening addition. Learn more here.
- Rinse with Mouthwash: We know it’s not always easy to brush when you’re snacking on the go. Keep some mouthwash on hand for cleaning between meals.
- Sip Through a Straw: With a straw, the drink goes straight through to help avoid tooth stains. Savor your colorful beverages through an environmentally friendly straw when you can.
Beyond DIY Teeth Whitening: Addressing Stained Teeth
If the damage is already done and you’re just not comfortable with your smile, you might consider professional teeth whitening instead of DIY teeth whitening. There is a tremendous difference between the effectiveness of what we can do and the kits you find at the store.
And the good news is that we have no restrictions on bleaching procedures at the moment. If you’re not sure, ask at your next appointment, or give us a call any time to discuss the options.
To schedule an appointment, fill out this form, or call our office at 815-886-0875.