Dealing with stained and yellow teeth can be frustrating. It’s enough to cause people to cover up their mouth when they smile, laugh, or talk in close proximity with others. There are many products on the market that advertise as being ‘teeth whiteners.’
Most of these teeth whiteners are bleaching agents. The main goal of these bleaching agents is to get rid of those stains to help your teeth look brilliant and white.
But do they really work?
The fact of the matter is most of these teeth whiteners are practically ineffective, especially with regard to dealing with significantly stained teeth. There are many things you might be doing on a daily basis that is causing your teeth to become stained. Smoking, drinking carbonated beverages, consuming coffee, and much more are all key contributors to stained and yellow teeth.
If you pick up a teeth whitening strip, you may notice a mild improvement over a significant amount of time. It’s nothing like what you’d find if you went to your dentist for a regular checkup and cleaning every six months.
As for bleaching agents, these are extremely dangerous when it comes to your oral health. Some bleaching agents can actually erode the enamel on your teeth. The enamel is a hard surface that protects the teeth from cavities and other damage.
If you use certain tooth bleaching agents, you could find yourself with sensitive teeth, and increasing cavities, and other oral health problems.
What you should do.
For obvious reasons, it’s a good idea to cut out many of the habits that cause oral health problems, including drinking coffee, smoking, soda, and much more.
Whether or not you are willing or able to cut those habits out, you need to visit your dentist every six months for a regular checkup and cleaning. Your dentist has the proper tools, experience, and materials that can get your teeth looking much whiter. Will they look brilliantly white if they are extremely stained? Not likely. However, after several visits to your dentist over a couple of years, you may notice your confidence increasing because you’re much more comfortable with your whiter, better looking smile.