A snow-white smile is a dream of every person. To achieve this effect, you need to follow the teeth and care for them with special attention. Everyday brushing of enamel and giving up bad habits (alcohol, drinking coffee) are the main helpers in achieving a “Hollywood” smile.
When do you need to whiten your teeth?
A person should brush his teeth daily and rinse his mouth after eating. The color of his tooth enamel depends on several factors:
- Regular personal hygiene
- Consumed food and water;
- Genetic heredity.
Do not forget that coffee, cigarettes and food coloring can stain tooth enamel.
If after everyday brushing, they do not become whiter, a person can use the whitening procedure. Indications for teeth whitening at home without harm are:
- Brushing your teeth 2 times a day does not help get rid of the yellowness of tooth enamel;
- The teeth were damaged, as a result of which they lost their white color;
- Toothpaste does not cope with the accumulated plaque;
- The use of drugs, especially antibiotics;
- Excess fluoride in the body;
- Smoking and abuse of sugary products.
Teeth whitening is a great solution for a person who wants a beautiful smile. But not everyone is allowed to carry out such a procedure. Contraindications include:
- High sensitivity of teeth;
- Pregnant and lactating mothers are not recommended to carry out the procedure for whitening tooth enamel;
- For children under 16 years of age, the procedure is contraindicated;
- Persons who have many open cavities (fillings on the front teeth, crowns) do not bleach.
The last category of patients is not recommended to do toothbrushing at home due to the fact that after bleaching, the contrast of the colors of natural teeth and crowns will be noticeable. The consequence may be the need for a complete replacement of fillings and crowns. If a person decides to have prosthetics, then there are no risks and it would be advisable to whiten your teeth first.
Is it possible to whiten teeth at home?
There are two types of teeth whitening: professional in the dentist's office and home. The latter is less harmful to tooth enamel.
At home, not as strong chemicals are used as in dentists' offices. The effective home whitening procedure lasts 5-10 days.
At home, teeth can be whitened with folk remedies, including products available in almost any home.
How to whiten teeth at home with folk remedies?
Some folk remedies allow you to temporarily whiten your teeth.Prescriptions from folk remedies are relevant when a visit to the dentist is difficult. At home, the teeth are whitened:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Strawberries
- Ashes;
- Soda;
- Hydrogen peroxide;
- Lemon
- Tea tree oil.
Let us consider in more detail several effective recipes for homemade teeth whitening.
Apple vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is suitable for a variety of purposes at home. One of them is teeth whitening. The taste of this method is unpleasant, but the effectiveness is palpable.
Method of using apple cider vinegar for teeth whitening:
- Pour vinegar into a small glass;
- Take one sip in your mouth and rinse it without swallowing;
- Spit and rinse your mouth with warm water.
Recommendations: it is advisable to use this method once a week. The taste of vinegar is unpleasant, but the final results will help to justify such a flaw.
Strawberry
Rubbing strawberries is a great way to whiten your teeth at home without harm effectively and quickly.
Strawberry Teeth Whitening Recipe:
- Take the berry and cut it into two parts;
- Rub strawberries into the surface of the teeth and leave for 5-10 minutes;
- Then brush your teeth with regular toothpaste.
The number of repetitions of the procedure - twice a week.
Orange peel and bay leaf
The combination of bay leaf and orange peel also allows you to whiten your teeth. The duration of the procedure is a few minutes.
Method for using bay leaf in combination with orange peel:
- The fruit must be peeled;
- Grind several pieces of peel;
- Rub them into tooth enamel;
- Then grind the bay leaf until it turns into powder and put on the teeth;
- Leave on for five minutes;
- Rinse your mouth with warm water.
Repeat the procedure in a week. The effect is that the acid in the orange peel kills bacteria, resulting in stains, and bay leaves absorb these stains.
How to whiten your teeth quickly?
At home, teeth can be whitened quickly with:
- Baking soda;
- Hydrogen peroxide;
- Ashes.
The above listed components are used as stand-alone tools. But be careful and keep proportions so as not to harm the tooth enamel. Baking soda and ash are applied to the teeth with a toothbrush. Peroxide simply rinses the mouth several times a day.
Consider a few popular recipes for whitening teeth at home quickly.
Baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate is a popular bleaching agent. Whitening is carried out while brushing your teeth. It must first be lowered into a concentrated liquid, which includes water and baking soda.
Tip: Soda can be mixed with toothpaste. Then her taste will be less noticeable.
Hydrogen peroxide
Gels are created on the basis of hydrogen peroxide, which are used by dentists in professional toothbrushing.
The procedure for whitening teeth with hydrogen peroxide is simple:
- After brushing your teeth (morning and evening), rinse your mouth with hydrogen peroxide 2-3 times;
- Spit out the contents in the mouth;
- Rinse with clean, warm water.
An alternative is the use of a cotton swab of small diameter, which is pre-wetted in a liquid. Using it, the upper and lower rows of teeth are rubbed. After the procedure, rinse your mouth with warm water.
The disadvantage of this tool is that there may be unpleasant sensations in the mouth in the form of tingling or burning of the mouth. But the result can be seen quickly - in a week or two teeth will become much whiter. However, the density of tooth enamel may decrease, which will negatively affect the condition of the teeth as a whole.
Wood ash
Wood ash contains potassium hydroxide - a compound that perfectly whitens teeth. Method of application: dip the brush into wood ash and start brushing your teeth. Wood ash can be pre-mixed with toothpaste.
The effectiveness of the mixture lies in microscopic crystals that clean the accumulated plaque on the enamel surface. Wood ash is not often recommended because of a possible reduction in the density of enamel and damage to the gums.
A substitute for wood ash is activated carbon. It is sold in tablets at the pharmacy. To whiten your teeth with activated charcoal, tablets need to be crushed and applied to the toothbrush with toothpaste.
When bleached with wood ash, teeth may temporarily turn black, but this quickly passes.
Whiten teeth without harm to enamel
It is dangerous for tooth enamel to abuse soda, wood ash and hydrogen peroxide. There are other home remedies that do not harm the surface of the teeth:
- Tea tree oil. Prevents the spread of bacteria in the oral cavity and on the teeth. It bleaches them well. The tool gently affects tooth enamel. Method of application: apply in the morning and evening after brushing the teeth on the surface of the teeth with massage movements;
- Lemon zest.The zest contains fruit acid and oil. These components whiten tooth enamel without destruction. Method of application: once a day after scheduled brushing. Duration of the bleaching course: one week.
Increased tooth sensitivity? Self-bleaching procedures must be stopped. Pain with a temperature difference is a sign of destruction of the enamel protective layer. Does the pain go away in a few days? It is recommended to visit the dentist.
Special whitening products
Special tools for self-whitening teeth are divided into several types:
- Bleaching pastes;
- Teeth whitening gels;
- Pencils;
- Bleaching strips;
- Mouthguards for whitening.
The main advantages of the above tools are accessibility and effectiveness. They do not need to be cooked at home, you can purchase the option you like and achieve a quick result (white teeth).
Whitening paste
Whitening paste is a popular pharmacy tool needed to maintain the whiteness of teeth. Average usage time is one month. Be careful: the paste will not be able to radically change the color of the enamel during this time. It needs to be used for several months. But in this case, its use can lead to unpleasant consequences in the form of destruction of enamel and hypersensitivity due to a decrease in its thickness.
The composition of the pastes includes abrasive components. They soften deposits on the teeth and eliminate them in the future. But the disadvantage of the paste is that the abrasive equally affects the enamel. Over time, it is depleted and becomes excessively sensitive to temperature extremes.
The ideal option is to use such pastes after professional cleaning and bleaching at the dentist.
Gels for teeth
Tooth gels in a pharmacy are often sold with mouth guards. They are easy to use and more effective than whitening pastes. For 3-4 gel procedures with mouthguards, teeth can be lightened by 2-4 tones.
Method of application: mouthguards are disinfected, a small layer of gel is applied and put on teeth. The gel should not get on the gums, otherwise there is a chance of irritation of the mucous membrane and inflammation. You need to shoot after 30 minutes. A more accurate time is prescribed in the instructions for a particular type of gel. After the procedure, rinse your mouth well.
Whitening strips
Whitening stripssold at any pharmacy. They are easy to use and have an effective whitening effect. Their disadvantage is that the bleaching result does not last long.
Teeth whitening strips are used twice a day. After their application, they are carefully removed, and then the mouth is rinsed with running water. Before using strips, consult your doctor.
Whitening pencil
Enamel Pencilscan be purchased at the pharmacy and they have the desired effect.Thanks to them, a person can whiten his teeth in several tones in one course of application. In the pencil is a liquid that is applied to the tooth enamel with a brush.
Depending on the model, fluid may also be inside. To bleach the liquid out, press on the applicator.
All of the above products are unsafe for tooth enamel. A completely different thing with the use of cap for whitening.
Whitening tray
BleachThere are two varieties: unformable and molded. The latter view is a dental appliance that is placed in boiling water before use, then put on the teeth and bites.
As a result, they form the shape of the teeth and are used with a special whitening agent. Unformed option is cheaper and not very effective.
Remember that any tooth whitening product can harm tooth enamel. Therefore, before using it, consult your dentist.
Enamel Darkening Prevention
Teeth whitening is a great option for people who have unwanted plaque on their teeth. But, to prevent darkening of tooth enamel, adhere to the following recommendations:
- Reduce the amount of coffee consumed (maximum 2 cups per day);
- Exclude the use of drugs that include tetracyclines;
- Get rid of bad habits (alcohol, cigarettes);
- Teeth should be brushed 2 times a day: in the morning and before going to bed (at least 3 minutes);
- Choose your toothbrush and toothpaste correctly. The brush should be of medium hardness, and the hygiene product should be suitable for the parameters of water (the amount of fluorine in it and other substances);
- Drink 1.5-2 liters of pure water throughout the day;
- To remove daily plaque from tooth enamel, eat vegetables and fruits.
To preserve the natural whiteness of teeth, reduce the intake of foods containing food coloring. Try to clean tooth enamel with sea salt 1-2 times a month. These simple recommendations will help you become the owner of a white radiant smile.
