How to keep your smile bright

costa rica dental implants - smile

There are several factors in daily life that stain your teeth. In order to keep them pearly-white not only is it necessary to keep your mouth healthy with a daily cleaning routine, brushing your teeth, flossing, and rinsing but also watching out your habits. There are many foods and beverages that if consumed regularly will gradually darken your teeth either because they contain strong pigments or because their acids weaken the enamel and let pigments stain the tooth more easily. Unfortunately, these products can slightly alter the color even in porcelain crowns. For this reason, we decided to let you know the basics on how to protect your white smile. 

Like we mentioned before, there are some foods that should be best avoided or consumed with moderation. Dark coffee is one of the most popular causes of tooth staining. However, the deep hues of red wine, soy sauce, curries, or tomato sauce will have a similar effect. Foods and beverages with strong artificial colorings like sports drinks, candies, sodas and carbonated drinks are also a problem. In addition, some beverages have citric acids that wear away the tooth enamel. This tooth layer is the strongest and outermost. As its pores are opened, the pigments in foods act more rapidly and permanently. Beverages high in these acids include lemons, white wine, green or white tea, dark and light sodas, and ales. Fruits with vibrant colors are also likely to stain teeth. These include cranberries, blueberries, pomegranates, prunes, and cherries.

There are also habits that stain teeth even more quickly. Smoking is the great enemy of teeth. Smoke stains are very characteristic and hard to remove. With time your teeth can start turning a brownish color. The problem is not truly the smoke. Chewing or spitting tobacco acts in a similar way. Nicotine has chemicals that are abrasive to the tooth enamel, which protects your teeth. Nicotine consumers will probably need to recur to professional whitening to work against the stains.

There are many ways to whiten your teeth.  Superficial stains can be removed at your regular cleanings using prophylactic paste and then polishing. For more noticeable results, professional laser whitening is a good place to start. The laser treatment utilizes ultraviolet light that opens the pores on your enamel and allows light into it. This gives teeth the appearance of whiteness. Some months after the professional whitening, you can touch up your teeth with at-home treatments like peroxide gel and bleaching trays. The best brands in oral hygiene also offer whitening strips and whitening toothpaste, whose soft abrasion will remove superficial stains from recently ingested foods or beverages. It is very important to avoid staining agents during the whitening treatment because they can ultimately lead to more permanent stains. In general, whatever marks your tablecloth will also mark your teeth. Drink water to dilute the pigments in beverages or food. Drinking with a straw can also minimize their contact with teeth.

If the color persists after your professional whitening session, your best option may be to opt for dental veneers. Contact us now to inquire about your options. A white smile is always possible for our patients. We are the smile experts.

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