3 Alternatives to At-Home Teeth Whitening
If you’re interested in whitening your teeth, there are many options available to you. From toothpastes to strips to rinses to professional whitening, how are you supposed to know what will work best? The general rule of thumb is that the stronger the whitening agent, the more dramatic the results will be. The only problem is that many at-home teeth whitening systems are not very strong and therefore the results are not always very noticeable.
When your goal is to whiten your teeth several shades, we recommend that you look into other whitening options aside from drugstore products that you can use at home. Today we are going to share 3 alternatives to at-home teeth whitening that will help you achieve the whitening results you desire!
1. Professional Whitening At Your Dental Practice
Most dental practices offer an in-office professional whitening procedure. At Rusnak Family Dentistry, we utilize the Opalescence Whitening System. This procedure involves the professional application of a very strong whitening agent and produces results almost immediately. In-office whitening typically produces the most dramatic results, whitening your teeth up to 8 shades in a single application.
2. Professional Take Home Whitening From Your Dental Practice
If getting immediate results isn’t as important to you, you may want to consider take home professional whitening from your local dentist. This involves the production of custom whitening trays, which are similar to flexible retainers. Then we’ll provide you with the professional strength whitening gel which you’ll load into the trays and wear until you achieve the whitening results you desire.
3. Staying Away From Foods That Stain Your Teeth
Anyone remember the Crest commercial where they exclaimed, “If you’re not whitening, you’re yellowing”? While this may not be true for everyone, if your diet includes foods such as coffee, tea, or dark fruit juices, then it may be the case for you. One of the best ways to naturally whiten your teeth is to eliminate this pigment-rich foods from your diet. If you regularly consume pigment-rich foods, you can at least make a habit of rinsing with water afterwards. This won’t completely eliminate their staining potential, but it should help dilute the stain a little bit.
Ask Your Local Dentist What Teeth Whitening Option is Best For You
As with all dental health tips, the best place to seek whitening advice is from your local dentist. So don’t be afraid to ask about alternatives to at-home teeth whitening at your next dental appointment!
3 Comments
Chicagoland Dentist
Great tips. Obviously, getting it done at your dentist office is the best treatment.
RFD Staff
We agree! Thanks for your input.
Deanna R. Jones
I also remember the phrase, “If you’re not whitening, you’re yellowing.” That seems like to be a true statement to some extent, mainly concerning the foods that you eat. Whitening teeth by avoiding foods that can cause stains in enamel seems like a good point that more people should keep in mind to have whiter teeth. I’ve heard that any sugary drinks can yellow teeth, so does that mean that any type of fruit juice will yellow teeth rather than just dark fruit juices? It seems like the amount of sugar in any type of juice would cause as much damage to teeth as dark fruit juices.