What’s the Best Way to Whiten Teeth?

Your smile says a lot about your personality, which is one of the reasons why professional teeth whitening has risen in popularity. More and more of our patients want to know the secret to having a whiter smile.

While custom teeth whitening trays from our dentist can help you whiten teeth by several shades, it’s important not to underestimate the power of brushing and flossing daily.

Here are our tips for achieving a whiter, brighter smile.

Best Ways to Whiten Teeth

A cosmetic dentist can help you find the best way to whiten teeth. We recommend our custom teeth whitening trays for professional results.

See our list below for the 5 ways to whiten teeth:

Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks

If you want to keep a naturally white smile, you’ll want to limit certain foods and drinks. 

Coffee is one of the biggest culprits behind tooth discoloration. While we understand that coffee provides that much-needed boost of energy as you’re trying to get out the door, it can also stain teeth over time.

Even if you don’t stop drinking coffee completely, you might want to cut down on how much you drink each day.

Other foods that stain teeth include wine, tea, tomato sauce, and berries.

Brush and Floss Daily

Plaque is an invisible film of bacteria that lives on your teeth. Over time, plaque buildup can increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Hardened plaque (tartar) can also give your teeth a yellow or brown-colored tinge.

One of the best ways to protect your white smile is to brush twice a day and floss once daily. Most dentists agree that you’ll need to brush your teeth for at least 2 minutes at a time. 

If we still find plenty of plaque and tartar on your teeth, we may recommend adding a fluoride mouthwash to your oral hygiene routine.

Schedule Your Teeth Cleaning

Brushing and flossing your teeth at home isn’t enough to fully protect oral health. You’ll also need to make sure you schedule a teeth cleaning with our office to remove plaque and tartar from teeth.

Only a dental professional will be able to remove tartar from teeth. If you have a lot of tartar buildup, your smile will look slightly whiter after your appointment.

Your dental hygienist will use a tool called a scaler to gently scrape plaque and tartar from teeth.

Get Professional Teeth Whitening

Interested in teeth whitening at home? Your dentist may recommend custom teeth whitening trays to help you achieve a whiter smile.

First, we’ll need to take impressions of your teeth to send to the lab. When you come back for your second appointment, your teeth whitening tray will be ready. Your dentist may slightly adjust the fit of your tray so it fits comfortably.

Ask about Dental Crowns and Veneers

Each smile is different. If you only need to improve the shade of one tooth, your dentist may recommend dental crowns or porcelain veneers.

A dental crown covers the entire visible portion of your tooth above the gum line and can be placed in one appointment. However, your dentist may recommend porcelain veneers to save as much natural tooth structure as possible.

Veneers are wafer-thin porcelain shells we bond to the fronts of your teeth that show when you smile or talk.

Request an Appointment With Us

Dr. Alexandra Dodds is a teeth whitening dentist in Grand Rapids, MI. To request an appointment, call Renew Family Dental at (616) 245-3205.

This blog post has been updated.