Everybody appreciates a set of nice pearly whites. There are a few things you can do daily to make sure your teeth stay white, or lighten up to the next desired level. Sometimes you can mask it with beauty products and whitening toothpaste, but more heavy duty cleaning may call for an appointment in the dentist’s chair. Here’s what you can do at home.
Chase with water
We know it’s important to drink eight glasses of water a day for your health, but drinking water is also critical to keeping your smile white. If you drink dark drinks like coffee and diet sodas, follow up with a glass of water to help prevent the pigments from staining your teeth. Other helpful tricks — drink your dark liquids through a straw and mix your coffee with non-skim milk.
Stay away from white
Contrary to popular belief, a glass of Pinot Grigio is worse for your smile than Pinot Noir. White wine is much more acidic, and so it eats away at enamel. The acid can leave grooves and ridges on the enamel, making it vulnerable to stains. Offset the damage and go for a Pinor Noir instead.
Get in touch with the blues
When it comes to lipstick, blue-based red and berry shades make your teeth look whiter. Clinique actually sells twelve shades they say make teeth look a full shade lighter.
Think ‘beauty pageant’
This may be an old trick, but it’s still a goody. Follow the lead of Miss USA contestants and rub Vaseline on your teeth. It may not taste very good, but it will create a protective barrier against stains for a few hours. We don’t suggest you do this regularly, but if you’re about to polish off a bottle of red, why not take a dip in the greasy stuff first?
Use an in-home whitening kit that contains peroxide
Crest 3D white strips have the highest concentration (10 percent) of the whitening ingredient that you can buy over the counter.
TIP
For those who are wine drinkers, avoid brushing your teeth immediately after drinking, since teeth remain in a weakened state and prone to wear for about 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse with water instead and use a whitening toothpaste when you do brush.
