With the holiday season upon us, you can expect to be smiling for a lot of photographs. Unfortunately, nothing ruins a perfect photo opportunity quite like stained teeth. To make your smile camera ready this holiday season, be sure to follow these five easy steps!
1. Avoid certain holiday beverages.
If you want whiter teeth in time for holiday photos, there are certain beverages you’ll want to avoid. For starters, try to avoid coffee beverages—especially the super sugary holiday drinks that come out around this time of year. This highly acidic beverage sets into the microscopic grooves on the surface of your teeth and leaves a stain. Adding sugar to the beverage can also increase your risk of decay and give your teeth a yellowish tint. In addition to coffee, you may also want to avoid black tea and red wine, as these pigmented beverages can also leave a stain.
2. Skip the sweets and go for the veggie platter.
When you eat sweets, the sugars feed the bacteria in plaque and lead to an “acid attack” on your dental enamel. These acid attacks can lead to decay, causing your teeth to look yellow and dull. Instead, try eating crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples, cucumber, celery, etc. These fibrous fruits and vegetables actually scrub your teeth as you chew and help to remove harmful plaque from your dental enamel.
3. Don’t wait until the New Year to quit smoking.
If you’re a smoker, you may be thinking of quitting as part of your New Years resolution. However, if you want whiter teeth this holiday season, then kicking the habit a bit earlier can be a big help! Cigarettes can cause a yellow-brown stain on your teeth that can be tough to remove. Nicotine tends to turn yellow when it comes into contact with oxygen, and the tar in cigarettes leaves a black stain on the surface of your teeth. By quitting smoking, you can improve the aesthetic appearance of your smile as well as the health of your teeth and gums!
4. Boost your dental hygiene routine.
A healthy smile is a beautiful smile, so make sure you’re doing everything you can to boost your oral health this season. Be sure to brush your teeth at least twice per day and even after meals. You should also floss every night to fight off decay and gingivitis, as these oral health issues can dull your pearly whites. Finally, you can add a fluoride rinse to your daily routine in order to fight off tooth decay.
5. Gift yourself an in-office whitening treatment.
Professional teeth whitening treatments can remove years worth of stains in a single treatment. The procedure is pain-free and will lighten your teeth by up to eight shades!
To schedule your whitening treatment, call College Drive Dental Associates in Palos Heights today!