If you’re so concerned about the appearance of your discolored teeth that it’s hard to smile, but you don’t know what to think of all the teeth whitening options you’ve heard about, don’t give up. With the help of some teeth whitening tips, you will be able to clear up many of the misconceptions and decide if a teeth whitening procedure is in your future.
The first of the teeth whitening tips is that while teeth whitening can be expensive, it doesn’t have to be. And when you consider that a 1998 survey found that 85% of respondents believed that an unattractive smile would make them less attractive to the opposite sex, teeth whitening can be cheap, at twice the price.
Peroxide is safe
The second tip for permanent teeth whitening is that, as you may have heard, the peroxide-based gels used in most commercial teeth whitening systems will not cause permanent damage to your teeth or gums. It is true that some home whitening kits cause gum irritation in users, but the likely reason is not the peroxide gel; it is the misadjusted nozzle into which the gel is injected. The blade may slide back and forth if the user tries to slide it into a comfortable position, scraping the gums.
If you choose to have your teeth professionally whitened, your dentist will use a gel with a much higher concentration of peroxide, but will place it in a mouthpiece that fits your teeth perfectly.
The third of the teeth whitening tips is that if you experience any of the rare side effects such as increased tooth sensitivity, you can simply stop the treatments for a few days until the problem goes away. If sensitivity returns, continue your treatments by brushing with toothpaste specially made for sensitive teeth; your irritated nerves will soon calm down.
Professional vs home treatments
Another tip for teeth whitening is that the results you get with professional whitening won’t be much more noticeable in the end than what you can achieve by whitening your teeth at home, as long as you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. But there are two other teeth whitening tips: Professional laser teeth whitening treatment will give you immediate results, which can last two to five years. A home bleaching system typically requires three to four weeks of daily treatments.
The other advice that comes with teeth whitening is that no treatment will produce lasting results. The best you can reasonably expect from home treatments is about six months. But they are so cheap that you can make money for several years for the money you spend on a single laser whitening session.
What to avoid
The last two teeth whitening are perhaps the most important; avoid substances that stain teeth, such as coffee, tea, tobacco, berries or red wine; and longing for homemade teeth whitening tips that suggest using lemon or orange juice and zest.
Citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges are very good for us because they contain a lot of antioxidant vitamin C, but that same vitamin C is also called citric acid. If you follow the teeth whitening tips that orange or lemon juice recommends, you will wash your teeth in citric acid, which will eventually weaken their calcium, making cavities or fractures much more likely.