How to treat stained teeth for a brighter smile?

 A bright smile is a reflection of confidence and attitude. It helps you carry yourself in front of others, just the way you are. But the secret to a beautiful and bright smile is a good set of teeth. From dental hygiene habits to genetics, everything needs to favor you to flaunt a gorgeous smile. And problems such as tooth discoloration could bring down your morale to smile wide and bright.

Tooth discoloration and staining

Tooth discoloration is a common problem across the world. Our everyday habits, including consuming too much soda, sugar, caffeine, smoking,  and various other products lead to thinning of the enamel or staining of the teeth. In some cases the stains deposit over time, thus becoming permanent. Having yellow and dull teeth reflects poorly on our dental hygiene. Also, many of these substances do not necessarily react to common dental supplies such as toothpaste, or mouthwash. Hence getting rid of tooth stains becomes difficult over time. Problems such as enamel thinning also have huge effects on the tooth color. It exposes the dentin layer, which is slightly yellow and causes tooth sensitivity. Age and dental diseases also cause the teeth to lose color over time. With so many problems wound around tooth discoloration, it is important to know about various methods that can help restore a beautiful white smile.

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The many ways to treat stained teeth

Advanced dental treatment methods, such as dental sedation have enabled easier solutions for severe dental problems. Such advanced treatment and techniques are also available for teeth whitening. There are simple treatment methods available which you can try at a dentist’s office or take back home. There are even a few home remedies that can help you gain the beautiful sparkle for your teeth.

Whitening treatments at your dentist’s office

1. In-office tooth whitening: This is a simple procedure performed at the dentist’s office. The procedures take about 60 to 90 minutes and involve a few steps. Your doctor might use a combination of pumice, hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide and laser along with a fluoride product to whiten your teeth. Multiple visits are scheduled to ensure that you go through the whitening is small steps without damaging your gum line or tooth enamel.

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2. Bondings: Dental bonding means placing a tooth-colored resin material on top of your teeth to cover the discoloration. The resin applied and hardened using light to bond with the teeth. In general, bondings are a much-preferred choice for adding strength and structure to your teeth, such as in the case of decay, chipping, the spacing between teeth. But it can help improve the color and aesthetics of your teeth in a few cases.

3. Veneers: Dental Veneers are thin wafer-like shells made to cover the front of the teeth. The color and shape are similar to our natural teeth, and this helps restore natural bright white teeth easily.

Whitening methods at home

1. Whitening kits: There are various choices of over the counter tooth whitening kits that can be useful to achieve white teeth at home. These kits consist of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide that help remove superficial stains and discolorations on the surface of the teeth. There are choices between gels that you can apply on your teeth, or a solution you need to brush. These whitening kits need to be kept anywhere between 45 minutes to 60 minutes and require repeated use once every few days to eliminate stains and discoloration.

2. Whitening strips: Teeth whitening strips are of polyethylene that contains about 5% hydrogen peroxide. Apply the strip on the surface of the tooth for a few days, and the chemical will slowly start to bleach away the stains on the surface.

3. Whitening toothpaste: Whitening toothpaste may not be a solution to eliminate existing stains, but can help maintain your teeth in the long run. They help remove small stains from foods and do not bleach your teeth, unlike the previous methods. Hence it can be useful in combination with some of the existing treatments.

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DIY Teeth Whitening

Home remedies are also competent solutions for treating tooth staining and discoloration. Simple ingredients from your kitchen and bathroom can be useful to create your solution to achieve shiny, white teeth.

1. Oil Pulling: Oil pulling is an ancient Indian remedy used for improving toxins from the body and improving oral hygiene. Swishing the oil helps eliminate bacteria and particles around the mouth, and helps remove the cause for tooth stains and discoloration. Oils such as coconut, sesame are the choices for this practice. Studies suggest coconut oil can help with problems such as gingivitis and plaque, and thus ensures better dental hygiene. Take a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth. Swish the oil around through your teeth and repeat the same until the oil feels thin. Spit the oil and wash with lukewarm water. You will see visible results after a few sessions of oil pulling.

2. Using apple cider vinegar: Similar to oil pulling, using apple cider vinegar helps eliminate the bacteria, and other harmful substances build up in the mouth. Its antibacterial properties clean the mouth, and the mild acidity bleaches the teeth says a study. A spoon of apple cider vinegar and dilute it in a glass of water. Swish the solution in your mouth for about 10 minutes and wash with plain water afterward. Do not use apple cider vinegar directly as this may corrode your teeth with repeated use.

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3. Eating right: Eating the right foods can be a natural way of restoring a beautiful smile. Crunchy, raw vegetables and fruits tend to improve the aesthetics as well as the strength of your teeth. Fruits such as strawberries and pineapple are said to improve the color of your teeth. A mixture of strawberry and baking soda can help as a natural remedy to improve teeth color. The malic acid from strawberries helps whiten your teeth, whereas the baking soda helps remove the stains. Pineapple contains bromelain which helps eliminate stains from the teeth, just like in standard toothpaste states a study.

4. Activated Charcoal: Charcoal is an ancient dental hygiene product used by people regularly to maintain good oral health. The charcoal pulls the toxins away from the surface of your teeth and removes stains over time. Activated charcoal powders are available in the market. You can brush your teeth using these powders to see visible results over time.

Apart from these, avoiding habits that stain your teeth, such as excessive sugar, soda consumption, smoking, drinking too much wine, or colored drinks can help maintain beautiful teeth. These remedies both at home and at your doctor’s office, are effective to help restore a beautiful white smile in no time.