subject: Maintaining Your White Smile [print this page] Whether it is from a home kit or your Dentist, it is important that you keep your new smile healthy and sparkling white. Although it is not a permanent treatment there are several things you can do to make the results last longer. The main thing is to remove stains before they start to take hold.
For a start, stop smoking! Even the healthiest of teeth don't stand a chance against nicotine and nothing is more guaranteed to stain and discolour your teeth than cigarettes. Not to mention it is extremely bad for your health so that is as good a reason as any to stop. The only truly effective method to totally remove these stubborn stains is to have a professional cleaning and whitening treatment, but no matter how well you look after your teeth, if you continue to smoke the stains will remain, so the only way of maintaining perfect teeth is to stop smoking.
Brushing your teeth after every meal if you can, or eating a sugar free gum after eating can promote the production of saliva which naturally cleans your teeth. Eating crunchy fruits and vegetables can also help, as well as being very healthy, fruits such as apples and strawberries are said to naturally whiten your teeth. Drinking water after each meal can help to prevent staining.
Try to avoid stain causing drinks such as tea, coffee, red wine and orange juice or anything acidic. If you are going to drink these, try to brush your teeth afterwards or even use some gel in with the toothpaste to keep on top of your whiteness. Using a straw to drink fizzy drinks is also a good way of protecting the enamel from acid damage as well as limiting the amount of time the drink comes into contact with the teeth meaning lesser staining. To polish away tooth discolouration with a home treatment, you can add a little hydrogen peroxide gel with some baking soda and use this after brushing your teeth with normal toothpaste. Or use a deep cleaning toothpaste daily containing silicas will help to maintain the whiteness of your teeth.
Foods like curry, berries, beetroots, cherries and sauces like soy and balsamic vinegar are all heavy staining foods and where possible should be limited or avoided. Giving your teeth a quick brush straight away after eating these types of foods will also help to keep those stains away. Although be careful not to over brush your teeth, brushing too frequently can cause the gums to recede.
Invest in an electric toothbrush. These can be better at removing plaque build up than regular toothbrushes and there is the added benefit of changeable heads which is far more hygienic. So if you choose to use a regular toothbrush, remember that they need replacing regularly, at least every three months, even if there is not a lot of wear and tear on the bristles. You should replace after an illness as bacteria can breed on the toothbrush.
