3 Ways To Whiten Your Teeth At Home
If you want a more attractive smile, one of the things that you may be considering is whitening your teeth. There are multiple ways to whiten the teeth at home. Here are a few of them.
Whitening Gum
Gum that boasts whitening power usually contains titanium dioxide. Most varieties of the gum are also sugarless. The titanium dioxide is a whitening substance that is mildly abrasive to help scrub away dental stains.
Since the scrubbing power only affects the outermost portion of the tooth enamel, only mild stains that have recently occurred are likely to be affected by the gum. In addition, the gum will likely need to be chewed regularly to have an effect.
It may be beneficial to chew directly after a meal or snack to help discourage dental stains from occurring immediately after eating a highly pigmented food or drink. Chewing directly after eating can also dislodge leftover food that may promote the development of plaque, which may cause tooth decay. As a result, tooth-darkening cavities may also be discouraged by chewing the whitening gum.
Use a Whitening Rinse
A whitening rinse typically contains hydrogen peroxide, which has mild bleaching abilities due to the oxygenating power of the solution. As you rinse your mouth, you may notice the foaming action of the product, due to the release of oxygen.
Whitening mouth rinses may help gently bleach away light dental stains. However, since the rinse is only in the mouth for a minute or so, the degree of bleaching is much less than it would be from using a bleaching kit or from an in-office bleaching session.
Bleaching Kits
There are many over-the-counter teeth-whitening products available in a kit form. The kits usually contain a whitening gel or solution that is peroxide-based. In addition, a mouth tray may be included for ease of application, or the whitening gel may be already presented on a substrate that is easy to place on the teeth, such as a plastic strip.
These kits can be effective if used as prescribed, but it is important not to veer away from the manufacturer's instructions. Kits that are misused can result in an increase in dental sensitivity.
Whitening kits are usually used for a few weeks or even a month in order to see visible results.
For more ways to whiten your teeth, go to http://www.thefamilydentist-lakeland.com and schedule a consultation with a cosmetic dentist in your area.