Your Guide to a Whiter, Brighter Smile

The majority of us are going for the straight, white teeth look. In addition to basic oral care - brushing, flossing and using mouthwash - refer to the following tips for a pearly white smile. And when in doubt, consult with your orthodontist and/or dentist about over-the-counter and professional whitening treatments.

To prevent staining, avoid:

• Coffee
• Black tea
• Red wine
• Smoking tobacco
• Sodas
• Gravies
• Dark juice

Rule of thumb (rather, tooth) - anything that will stain a white shirt will stain your teeth. 

If you do eat or drink dark foods, brush immediately afterwards and apply a good bleaching agent - either over-the-counter or from a dentist's office.

Home remedies:

• Use a fluoride toothpaste - whitening toothpaste can whiten teeth slightly by removing surface stains and can also be used after a bleaching treatment to help maintain results.
• Gargle with apple cider vinegar int he morning and then brush as usual. The vinegar helps remove stains, whiten teeth, and kill bacteria in your mouth and gums.
• Brush your teeth with baking soda once a week. This will remove stains and whiten your teeth. Use it just as you would with toothpaste. You can also use salt as an alternative toothpaste. Just be sure to spit it out so it doesn't count as sodium intake.

Tip: If your gums start to feel raw, switch to brushing with salt every other day.

• Whitening strips work by bleaching teeth with peroxide. Some contain an enamel-damaging ingredient. The longer you keep a stronger solution on your teeth, the whiter your teeth become. But, the higher the percentage of peroxide in the whitening solution, the shorter it should be applied to the teeth. Keeping the gel on longer will dehydrate the tooth and increase tooth sensitivity.
• There are other teeth-bleaching agents sold in stores - be sure to talk to your dentist before trying them, because not everyone will see good results. Bleaching will not whiten porcelain crowns or composite tooth-colored bondings.

Tip: You can clean teeth naturally with certain foods - carrots, apples, celery, etc.

Whitening in braces:

• Using whitening products with traditional metal bracket braces is not recommended. The brackets adhere to teeth with such a strong bond, the enamel underneath is sealed by the glue and bracket overlay. The whitening agents will react with the exposed parts of the teeth, but the covered surfaces won't receive the same treatment. Instead, they will stay the same color they were before the brackets were applied.
• Use an interdental brush for getting underneath wires, and add toothpaste for an extra deep clean.
• Darker color braces will create a contrast with your teeth, making them look whiter.
• Getting your teeth professionally whitened is a nice reward for successfully completing your orthodontic treatment.

Tip for the ladies, with or without braces: Choose a medium coral or light red lipstick. These colors make your teeth look whiter, whereas lighter-colored lipsticks tend to bring out the yellow in teeth.