Take Care Of Those Teeth!
Culinary culprits
Some of the most common culinary culprits that can discolor your teeth? Tea, red wine, coffee and colored berries, Lituchy says. Smoking can also wreak havoc on your pearly whites.
As Lituchy explained, your teeth’s outer protective enamel thins as you age, and the naturally yellower layer below called dentin is revealed. If you’ve been a red wine or coffee drinker for years, you can face some major discoloration.
So what’s a caffeine or alcohol-loving gal to do? Take preventative measures!
"If you can’t live without caffeine or a glass of wine, apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the teeth prior to drinking to create a protective barrier," Lituchy says. "Or, chew on raw, crunchy vegetables such as celery and carrots to mechanically remove surface stains from the enamel."
Drinking with a straw and brushing teeth right after your morning coffee or nightly glass of red wine can also help keep teeth white by removing stains before they can penetrate the enamel and darken your teeth.
Whitening options
If you’ve got some time and want to whiten those stains, there are a lot of options out there! If you want to pull out the big guns and get an in-office whitening treatment, Lituchy suggests a yearly Power Bleaching at your dentist’s office. This treatment of 35% hydrogen peroxide and high intensity light can dramatically whiten teeth in just one hour – perfect for your lunch break! – and is much more effective than at-home ingredients sold over the counter, Lituchy says.
For another in-office option, Lituchy suggests custom-fitted bleaching trays. Your dentist can make these little babies for you to bring home and use on your own to either maintain an in-office treatment or to gradually white at home over a 10-day period. He suggests using the trays for maintenance one to two days per month to boost the whiteness after an in-office procedure like Power Bleaching.
If you prefer to beautify in the comfort of your own home, you can always try at-home whitening strips! "For the budget conscious, your best bet is to invest in an over the counter at-home whitening system, such as Crest Whitestrips," Lituchy says. "Although this won’t yield the same results as a power bleaching treatment at the dentist, it offers a significant improvement if you use as directed." There are also plenty of whitening toothpastes on the market that offer gradual and slight improvements, like Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief + Whitening toothpaste.
Hidden beauty
If you don’t exactly have time to whiten your teeth before that big holiday party, you can hide them with a few beauty tricks. Lituchy suggests using a lip shade with blue undertones since red lipsticks can bring attention to yellowed teeth. Wearing bronzer on your skin can also help make teeth appear white by contrasting with your teeth.
More on dental health
5 Bad dental habits to break right now
Expert tips for getting the smile you want
The dangers of teeth whitening
