What Is the Best Way to Whiten Your Teeth?

A recent survey revealed that nearly two-thirds of Americans are insecure about their teeth. Some people can’t stand their crooked teeth, while others hate the spaces between them.

However, the biggest complaint people have about their teeth is the color. Dull and discolored teeth ranked at the top of the list of complaints people in the U.S. have about their smiles.

Do you wish your teeth were whiter? Finding the best way to whiten teeth, from baking soda to professional treatments, can help you take pride in your smile again. Below, learn about the top options when brushing teeth isn’t enough.

Exploring the Top Teeth Whitening Method Options

The best method to whiten your teeth is to prevent surface teeth stains from building up in the first place. You can do this by following the advice of the American Dental Association and practicing good oral hygiene. Take these steps to prevent stained teeth from the get-go:

• Brush your teeth twice each day for at least two minutes.
• Floss your teeth once each day.
• Schedule a cleaning with a dental hygienist once every six months.
• Avoid acidic foods, coffee, wine, and anything else that can cause tooth discoloration.

You can also aim to make teeth whiter by arranging to have your dentist provide professional teeth whitening treatments. It’s often the most effective way to whiten teeth.

Additionally, many at-home teeth whitening options exist. Although they’re not always as effective as professional treatments, they can also deliver a whiter smile in many instances.

How To Whiten Teeth With Professional Treatments

People seeking to whiten their teeth should do so through a reputable dentist whenever possible. A dentist can supervise teeth whitening procedures, which is typically the best method to whiten discolored teeth.

Before a dentist breaks down the teeth whitening options that might work well for your teeth, they’ll perform an evaluation to check for signs of oral health issues, including tooth decay, gum disease, or problems with dental implants. They may need to treat your teeth and/or gums before whitening your teeth to deliver the best results.

From there, a dentist will use special teeth bleaching products to adjust the color of your teeth and make them look whiter. These teeth whitening solutions will contain a concentrated tooth bleaching agent that can get teeth whiter after just one session in many cases.

Depending on the condition of your teeth, you may need to undergo the whitening process more than once to get the desired results. Still, professional whitening can make your teeth whiter while keeping them healthy.

At-Home Teeth Whitening Products To Consider

Even though professional teeth whitening is the superior option for those interested in whitening teeth, not everyone decides to go in this direction. More than 35 million Americans purchase at-home tooth whitening products each year.

Since the demand for teeth whitening products has increased dramatically, there’s no shortage of options for those who want to try the at-home teeth version. Popular options include:

• Tooth whitening toothpastes: A whitening toothpaste usually contains mild abrasives like calcium carbonate, carbamide peroxide, hydrated silica, or sodium bicarbonate that can sometimes remove surface stains from teeth effectively and give them a whiter look. Some even contain hydrogen peroxide. A whitening toothpaste containing active hydrogen peroxide may produce whiter teeth than other whitening toothpastes. You can also look into using a whitening mouthwash.
• Tooth whitening strips: Whitening strips normally contain active hydrogen peroxide that acts as a bleaching agent when these strips are placed on your teeth. The bleaching agents in whitening strips must remain on your teeth for anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours to make stained and yellow teeth disappear. You may need to use whitening strips several times to get the right results from its whitening gel.
• Tooth whitening light devices: While whitening toothpastes and strips with whitening gels are probably the most popular whitening products, they aren’t the only at-home solutions for teeth bleaching. Whitening light devices have also become popular, especially among young people whitening their teeth. When using them, you’ll place a whitening agent on your teeth before holding a blue LED light over them to accelerate the whitening effect.

In addition to testing these at-home methods for achieving whiter teeth, some people prefer trying natural teeth whitening methods. Examples include:

• Mixing baking soda and water to create a whitening gel that may act like a mild abrasive
• Performing oil pulling with coconut oil to make teeth whiter and potentially improve oral health as a whole
• Swishing with diluted hydrogen peroxide to possibly erase surface stains
• Rubbing apple cider vinegar on teeth to gradually lighten their appearance with its teeth whitening properties

Just be careful about putting too much faith into the many teeth whitening “hacks” that have emerged online since some may stain teeth. If, for example, you use hydrogen peroxide or baking soda for too long, it may do more harm than good. Both can lead to tooth sensitivity, and you might even end up staining teeth with certain natural teeth whiteners instead of stain removal.

What Is the Best Solution for Whitening Sensitive Teeth?

Dental health studies suggest just over 12% of Americans have sensitive teeth. If you fall into this category, whitening your teeth might present problems the average person with healthy teeth won’t have.

In this scenario, the best way to whiten teeth is to seek assistance from a trusted dentist specializing in professional whitening services. They can perform desensitizing treatments and monitor the teeth whitening process. This will help prevent teeth whitening methods from damaging tooth enamel or causing increased tooth sensitivity.

Want Whiter Teeth? Contact Us To Schedule Professional Teeth Whitening Services

If you’re unhappy with your stained or yellow teeth, Dr. Dalesandro & Associates can help you use the best whitening product to get your teeth whitened. Our Tucson dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants can provide proven teeth whitening methods to eliminate tooth stains and leave you with teeth that look significantly whiter.

Contact us to discover more about the best method to whiten your teeth.