5/30/2012

Get Brighter Smile


Have you recently inspected your smile in the mirror, only to discover that it's lost its pearly-white appeal? Here, top dentists reveal tips and tricks for brightening your teeth.

Don't Slack on Oral Care 
Besides getting a professional cleaning every six months, brushing your teeth with a whitening toothpaste twice a day is the obvious first step toward achieving a brighter smile. Though they don't contain enough peroxide to actually whiten your teeth, whitening toothpastes are great at removing plaque and superficial stains.

Eat and Drink Wisely 
Chewing sugar-free gum that contains plaque-reducing xylitol has the added benefit of promoting salivary flow, which will clean your teeth and break down any remaining food particles in the mouth. Eating crunchy fruits and vegetables to naturally exfoliate teeth. Fruits you shouldn't let remain on teeth: types like lemons, limes, and grapefruit that are high in citric acid.

Try An At-Home Teeth Whitener 
Just as skin has pores, so do teeth. And once stains penetrate the surface layer, they can clog the pores of your not-so-pearly whites. If you're craving a whiter smile than what your regular teeth-cleansing routine gives, an over-the-counter whitener could be the solution. With peroxide concentrations ranging from seven to nine percent, at-home treatments go a step further than your average whitening toothpaste and mouthwash.

Get the Star Treatment
If your teeth aren't responding to over-the-counter whiteners as well as you'd hoped, pump up the peroxide and invest in a pro whitening treatment. A UV light is used to activate components within the whitening solution, which helps speed up the process.

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