On Sunday afternoon, many of us will be glued to the TV screen as a wide variety of stars take to the red carpet to celebrate the 86th Academy Awards. As the cameras flash and the iconic question, “Who are you wearing?” is asked and answered, these A-listers will be displaying their most valuable asset: their bright, white smiles.
If you’ve ever wondered how you can brighten your smile, dentist in Clackamas, OR Dr. Jeremy Suess and his team at Clackamas Smiles Family Dental have several tips that you can immediately put into practice.
Good Daily Dental Care
If you’d like to whiten teeth, nothing can replace a foundation of good daily dental care. It might be tempting to relax when it comes to brushing and flossing, but these two habits do more to maintain a healthy smile than anything else.
Brushing and flossing cleans away the sticky, yellow substance that gathers in the nooks and crannies of our teeth and along the gumline. Called plaque, this substance is filled with harmful bacteria that directly leads to tooth decay. If not cleaned away, this plaque hardens into calculus and leads to periodontal disease. This serious condition causes pockets to form between teeth and gums, allowing more plaque to gather and rotting away the tissue and bone that holds teeth into place.
Brushing teeth thoroughly is one way to help teeth look whiter. Use a toothpaste specially formulated to whiten teeth, and brush for two to three full minutes. If this seems like a long time, consider using a battery-powered toothbrush with a timer. Don’t neglect to floss your teeth – brushing only gets a little more than half the plaque that resides in your mouth!
A Reflection of Diet
Whether we like it or not, a smile reflects what we eat and drink on a regular basis. Over time, teeth can be stained from coffee, tea and dark sodas. A bright smile can also be hindered by a lack of nutrition in our diets.
To whiten teeth – and keep them white – consider cutting out these dark-colored beverages. Replace these drinks with water, which can automatically decrease your intake of empty calories, especially if you consume large amounts of soda. Cut out the other sources of sugar in your diet, limiting desserts throughout the day. Consider adding more fruits and vegetables to each meal, the crunchier the better as these naturally helps to remove plaque from the surfaces of teeth.
Teeth Whitening at the Dentist
Whitening teeth is a simple matter of time and consistency. While the drug store shelves contain many at-home teeth whitening options, dentist in Sunnyside Clackamas Dr. Jeremy Suess offers affordable professional teeth whitening services at Clackamas Smiles Family Dental. Ranging from Zoom! Teeth Whitening to customized treatments you can complete at home, Dr. Suess can provide a teeth whitening solution that fits your timeline and budget.
Let us help you achieve that Oscar-winning smile! Call Clackamas Smiles Family Dental at 503-786-3000 to schedule your appointment.