Thursday, May 21, 2009

Beautiful smile with white teeth : )


Looking at my China trip’s photos and realizing that my teeth are not really that white (okie is yellowish). Guess too much coffee stains. Should really start looking at ways to improve it. Then at least I can look better in picture and can have a nicer smile. ;P

Actually I have tried brushing with baking soda but maybe I didn’t use long enough to be able to see the effect. Just got myself another package of baking soda. Should try using it with some whitening toothpastes. But I just realized using peroxide and baking soda are ways of mild bleaching. So are they harmful for my teeth??? Think I shouldn’t use baking soda too often.

Found some other home remedies for whiter teeth on the net, maybe I should try out some of them…

• Baking soda and a toothbrush to gently whiten teeth
• Foods such as celery, apples, pears and carrots trigger lots of saliva -- which helps to scrub away stains on your teeth
• Chewing sugarless gum also triggers saliva, which help eliminate teeth stains and do you know that saliva neutralizes acid that causes tooth decay so more saliva is better.

Besides trying to whiten your teeth, be aware of the following to keep your teeth white:

• Don’t smoke. Nicotine causes brown stains that penetrate the groves and pits of tooth enamel and can be hard to remove by brushing alone. The longer you smoke, the more entrenched the stains become. Smoking also causes bad breath and gingivitis (gum disease), and increases risk of oral cancers.

• Watch what you eat, some foods can cause teeth stains. How to identify such food? Can try this theory, anything that can stain a white cotton T-shirt can stain teeth. Such as coffee, beverages such as tea, dark sodas, and fruit juices. These teeth stains develop slowly and become more noticeable as we age

• Red wine, cranberry juice, and grape juice also stain teeth easily. Beside beverages, deep color fruits and veggies such as blueberries, blackberries, and beets give their nutritional punch but also leave their color on teeth. To prevent tooth stains, remember to brush or rinse your mouth after drinking or eating.

• While all sweetened drinks are bad for teeth, some energy, sports drinks and bottled lemonade may be worse, they may erode tooth enamel after long-term use. The result is thin, translucent, discolored teeth. To prevent tooth erosion, don't sit and sip these drinks for a long time and rinse mouth with water when finished drinking.

• Some medication can stain teeth too. Antibiotic tetracycline cause gray teeth in children whose teeth are still developing. Antibacterial mouthwashes -- containing chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium chloride -- also stain teeth. Some antihistamines, antipsychotic drugs, and antihypertensive medications cause tooth stains, as can iron and excess fluoride. If bleaching doesn’t help, ask about dental bonding, in which a tooth-colored material is applied to teeth.

• One simple strategy to maintain white teeth: brush. Brush at least twice and floss at least once daily. Even better, brush after every meal and snack. Brushing helps prevent tooth stains and yellow teeth, especially at the gum line. For best results, try a powered toothbrush. Both electric and sonic toothbrushes may be superior to traditional toothbrushes in removing plaque and surface stains on teeth.

• See your dentist for regular checkups and professional cleaning. The abrasion and polishing methods dentists use can remove most teeth stains caused by food and tobacco.

Of course there are other ways to whiten your teeth such as do-it-yourself teeth whitening kits, home whitening strips and tooth whitening and dental work. But I prefer the natural way so for the time being, I will skip them and hope I can really following the above instructions to achieve whiter and brighter teeth and smile. Unless my teeth get real worse. Know other home remedies on teeth whiten do share with me.

Cheers.

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