No matter what trends are ruling this season, there’s one accessory that will always be on trend: glistening white teeth. Some have naturally white teeth, but some have to work a little harder to maintain that winning sparkle. Let’s see what can cause stained, yellow teeth:
Smoking – yes, we know you’re tired already of hearing that smoking is damaging to your health, but smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco gets to the same result: stained, yellow teeth!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 gum diseases and increases risk of oral cancers.
There’s another reason to watch what you eat – some common foods can cause tooth discoloration.
Here’s an easy way to tell if a food might be at fault – anything that can stain a white cotton T-shirt can stain teeth, say dentists – coffee, tea, red wines, dark sodas and fruit juices. The deep color of highly pigmented fruits and veggies give them their nutritional punch. But blueberries, blackberries and beets leave their color on teeth as well. Cranberry juice and grape juice also stain teeth easily, but this doesn’t mean that you should give them up, so remember to brush and rinse mouth after consuming these just to prevent teeth stains.
There are two types of stains: superficial/surface stains and deep stains.
Superficial stains occur due to smoking, certain foods or drinks; you can get rid of the superficial stains by yourself with at-home teeth whitening kits, strips or toothpastes. These use mild bleaching to brighten yellow teeth and toothpastes use abrasives and chemicals to remove surface stains. To get rid of deep stains you may need a dentists help. There are several teeth whitening methods, so ask which one works best for you and suits your lifestyle. Ask him to recommend you the best over-the-counter whitening product that would suit the needs of your teeth.
You can also try home tooth whitening kits that contain peroxide – a type of bleach that can remove both deep and surface stains, and actually lightens your natural tooth color. If you have coffee-stained teeth, a tooth-bleaching kit can help. With some kits, you apply a peroxide-based gel with a small brush to the surface of your teeth. In other kits, the gel is in a tray that molds to teeth.
Tips to a brighter smile!Did you know certain lip colors can actually make your teeth look significantly whiter (or darker)? If you have grayish teeth, avoid red lipsticks with blue tones and instead try a cooler tone with a brown base. Nude pinks with an almost brownish hue are best.
If you have a yellow or off-white tone to your teeth, avoid deep, dark and bright shades, as well as super-shiny glosses, instead try nude shades or pinks that have bluish undertones. Sip through a straw red wine, cranberry juice or any pigmented liquids that tend to seep into enamel and cause stains and discoloration.
By nature, our gums have a clean, pink, pillowy appearance and shape the teeth nicely – floss regularly to clean and whiten the spaces in between teeth.
