At South Bolton Dental, our dental team is more than happy to provide expert tips for keeping your smile white year-round.
We know through years of dental experience that any successful dentist-patient relationship is built on openness, communication, and expertise. That is why our team goes out of their way to ensure that each and every one of our patients comprehend their oral concerns and the details behind the treatments we recommend.
As with any oral concern, however, prevention is the best method. That’s why today’s blog is dedicated to our tips for keeping your smile white and healthy between check-ups.
Firstly, What Causes Smiles to Yellow Over Time?
While multiple factors can contribute to the yellowing of teeth, the most common are as follows:
- Trauma to the tooth: Cracked enamel and teeth grinding can damage the interior of the tooth, which, in turn, may lead to discolouration
- Fluorosis: An excess of fluoride can yield spots of discolouration labelled fluorosis
- Smoking: One of the most common triggers for surface stains on teeth, nicotine oftentimes causes yellow or brown stains to develop on teeth
- Loss of enamel over time (or due to genetic factors): As your enamel thins, dentin, the brownish substance that makes up the interior of a tooth, will start to show through. This can be exacerbated by genetic predispositions
- Certain foods and drinks: Of course, the most referred-to culprit for yellowing smiles is certain foods and drinks. These include coffee, tea, fruit juice, wine, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, curry, and berries
South Bolton Dental’s Expert Tips for Keeping Your Smile White Year-Round
Now that we have covered what may trigger the yellowing of teeth, let’s chat about how to prevent it from happening.
While limiting the above discolouration triggers to the best of your ability is in your interest, we understand that there are some factors that are out of your hands when it comes to prevention.
What is in your hands, however, are the following methods of reducing the look of discoloured teeth and maintaining a white smile:
- Brushing and flossing thoroughly a minimum of twice per day (AM and PM) to lift surface stains and eradicate food and drink particles between teeth; preferably, brush after meals and snacks to prevent stains from forming
- Ensuring that you are not vitamin C deficient, as vitamin C has been linked to reducing general discolouration and warding off gum disease
- Investing in a whitening toothpaste
- Staying in touch with your dentist regarding periodic check-ups and/or whitening appointments
Visit Us For A White, Healthy Smile For Life
South Bolton Dental is proud to offer ZOOM! Tooth Whitening. If your surface stains prove to be particularly stubborn, reach out to book your first (or next!) ZOOM! Tooth Whitening appointment with us today in order to reverse or enhance the whiteness of your smile.
