It’s common knowledge that your smile is one of your most important assets. It is the most striking feature on your face. A bright, attractive smile can transform your face into one which is captivating and charming, and as a result, can positively impact your self-confidence as well. So, we reached out to Dr. Saiesha Mistry, Aesthetic and Restorative Dentist, and asked her to share a few tips to ensure our smiles and teeth stay as bright as possible. Read on to know all that she recommended!

1. Maintain A Good Oral Hygiene Routine

  • Brush and floss your teeth twice daily, in the morning after breakfast and at night before bed.
  • Use an electric toothbrush when possible as it has better tooth-polishing abilities.
  • Rinse your mouth as soon as you can after eating or drinking to prevent the collection of food and deposition of stains.
  • Wait at least half an hour before brushing if you’ve had anything acidic to prevent erosion and removal of the tooth enamel.

2. Avoid Known Stain-Causers

Anything that can stain a white cotton T-shirt can stain teeth!

  • Stains can occur on your teeth from a variety of things you eat and drink. The worst culprits are tea, coffee, red wine, colas, acidic drinks, and foods with food coloring and turmeric. The best way to prevent these stains is to (obviously) avoid these items in your diet.
  • However, if you do have them, then drink a lot of water to dilute the effect of the staining compounds.
  • Sugary foods, processed food that sticks and clings to the teeth, and acidic foods cause most of the damage to teeth, resulting in ugly deposits, and erosion of the enamel. So, these foods should be minimised or avoided.
  • Smoking is one of the worst offenders when it comes to staining teeth. Tobacco causes brown stains that penetrate the grooves and pits of tooth enamel. Tobacco stains can be hard to remove by brushing alone. The longer you smoke, the more entrenched the stains become.

3. Consume Teeth-Friendly Foods 

  • Fibrous foods like apples, celery, carrots, and green leafy vegetables are very good for your dental health.
  • Fruits like strawberries and foods with good fats (like avocados and nuts) also ensure good health for your system, and your teeth and gums.

4. Try Home Remedies 

  • Use a paste of baking soda and water, and gently rub your teeth with it.
  • Use the inside or the white part of an orange peel along with sea salt to rub the teeth.
  • Use the peel of a ripe banana and rub your teeth with its insides for about two minutes.
  • Rub a really ripe strawberry on your teeth. Just like exfoliating the skin, it removes superficial debris from the teeth.

However, do be cautious as all these home remedies are either abrasive and rub away the stain, or are acidic and melt away the stains. But they also affect the teeth and can cause sensitivity and erosion of your enamel.

5. Use A Whitening Toothpaste

You could use an over-the-counter whitening toothpaste. While it does not whiten the teeth, it will minimise the stains from forming.

6. Use The Right Makeup

Select makeup shades that make teeth look whiter. For example:

  • Lipsticks with blue tones make teeth look brighter. Pick a plum-toned or berry-colored lipstick.
  • Use a lip liner and accentuate the shape of your lips. The bigger and poutier the lips look the brighter the teeth appear in contrast.
  • Don’t use gold-toned gloss, it makes teeth look darker and yellower.
  • Use a bronzer on your face to create a warmer background against which the teeth can shine.

7. Visit Your Dentist

  • Teeth will darken over time. The best option is to visit a dentist and get your teeth cleaned or professionally whitened.
  • A dental office bleach is the most effective for getting quick results and over time, tray bleaching procedures also work quite well.

If you do try any of these tips, please tell us in the comments below if they worked for you.

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