Keeping our teeth clean and white is something we should all be trying to do, as our teeth play an important part in everyday life. Not only is a good set of chompers important for overall oral health, but they are actually one of the top things that people notice about you, especially if you smile a lot!
For us bald men, taking care of our teeth is something we should be focusing on as they become more prominent in our overall facial features. Having stained, unhealthy looking teeth is not going to give the impression that you’re a confident, handsome bald man. But having a set of healthy, white looking teeth will enhance your smile and make your face look more appealing - it might actually encourage you to smile more as well!
Teeth whitening has become a highly popular practice both professionally and at home, as the need to take care of ourselves becomes ever more prominent in modern culture. Some of the ways are proven to be slightly better that others, and there are no real tricks and hacks to doing it except really to just keep them clean and visit the dentist regularly.
However, there are some extra things you can do in order to ensure your teeth stay on the brighter side, or if they’ve become stained over the years and you want to speed up the process in between dentists visit. In this article we’ll look at just a few of the most popular options and you can decide which ones you think will work for you.
Visit your dentist
Obviously the best way to actually whiten your teeth is to visit your dentist regularly for a clean and polish, and you can also ask them about whitening treatments.
Teeth naturally dull over time as the enamel gets stained and wears away, through natural daily use and certain food and drinks which cause staining. Plaque build up will also cause damage to your teeth over time, so keeping your teeth professionally clean will actually be the number 1 step to keeping them white and healthy.
Dentists have specific cleaning tools that will scrape away plague and tartar that you can’t reach at home with regular brushing. What they also have are professional whitening treatments that will be the most effective way to quickly give your teeth a nice, white shine. Speak to your dentist about options if this is the way you want to go.
At home Whitening Kits
Becoming more and more popular these days, home whitening kits are basically do-it-yourself kits which centre around applying a hydrogen peroxide gel to your teeth either through brushes, trays or strips. These have been proven to be fairly effective in eliminating surface stains and making your teeth look whiter after a few self-treatments. Some of the options available to you are:
Whitening strips
Essentially these are small strips that are covered on one side with a hydrogen peroxide gel, which you attach to your teeth and leave for around 45 minutes. The gel works by bleaching the stains on the surface of your teeth and making them appear whiter. This is usually a fairly cheap option, depending on the type of strip you go for. The concentration of the hydrogen peroxide solution will also vary depending on the restrictions of the country you live in. For example in the US you’re able to get a higher concentration over the counter than you are in the UK.
Whitening trays
Similar to the strips, the trays are almost like a small mouth guard that you place over your teeth. These tray will either contain, or you will fill them with, the hydrogen peroxide solution and they will sit over your teeth and bleach them in the same way. Some of the more modern versions come with a type of UV light that is supposed to accelerate and enhance the effects of the bleach.
One point to note is that these home kits have been known to cause some teeth and gum sensitivity for some people. If you decide to go down this route and you start to feel these side effects, stop using the product and speak to your dentist. It’s not worth damaging your teeth and gums over.
Consistent brushing & flossing
This is something we used to try and avoid when we were kids, but now that we’re adults it’s important that we brush our teeth at least twice a day with a good quality toothbrush in order to keep teeth clean and healthy.
You should be brushing for at least 2 minutes each time and some modern electric toothbrushes even have timers on them to help you with this. If you use a standard, manual toothbrush then maybe try counting 30 seconds x 4 as you brush the 4 quarters of your mouth.
Cleaning your teeth in the morning and the evening will help to brush away any acidic build up and food bits that have collected on them or in your gums. You’re protecting the enamel from picking up stains and the enamel is the part of the tooth that makes it look white.
Toothpaste & Mouthwash
There are many, many whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes on the market these days so sometimes it’s difficult to know which ones actually work or not. Over a period of time, most of these so-called whitening toothpastes will help to bring your teeth up a shade or two. But what you need to understand is that using a whitening toothpaste for a month is not going to give you a brilliant, glowing white smile. What it will do is gradually work to remove stains and clean up the enamel and protect the teeth from future staining - resulting in a gradual whitening over time.
3 of the best whitening toothpastes on the market right now include:
As for mouthwash, it’s recommendable that you use it once or twice a day to help remove those bits of food and bacteria that get stuck between the teeth and on the gum line. There are also various good products available including:
What to avoid
The problem with keeping your teeth white in our modern society is that there are many things out there which will stain and dull your teeth and make them appear yellow, brown, and less white in general. Now it’s difficult to avoid some of these things altogether and I’m not saying you absolutely should - there is a fine line between looking after yourself and simply not enjoying life at all - but to give you an idea of some things you might want to be conscious of:
Coffee
Red Wine
Acidic and sugary food/drinks like fruit juices, sweets, cakes etc.
Smoking - this will not only stain your teeth but also your fingers!
If you are going to eat and drink things that are likely to stain your teeth then maybe think about giving them a brush after or even chewing some gum. I don’t imagine you’ll be carrying a toothbrush with you on an evening out but just make sure you give your teeth a good brush, floss and rinse out with mouthwash before bed! And brush them after your morning coffee - it’s just about being conscious and sensible.
This article uses affiliate links
Comments