Five Simple Teeth Whitening Methods

Quick question: How often do you find yourself hiding your smile? Discreetly putting a hand over your mouth? Making sure you don't show your teeth in photographs?

Sounds like you need some serious teeth whitening.

A pearly white smile can mean the difference between being unsure of yourself and having high self-esteem. Just ask anyone with a great smile: It's something to be proud of.

Here are five ways to keep your teeth as white as they were when they first came in.

Avoid staining your teeth in the first place. Take it easy with heavily pigmented foods like coffee, berries and soy sauce. When drinking, try drinking through a straw as often as you can, to keep staining materials away from your teeth. You might look silly drinking red wine through a straw -- maybe stick to red at home, and have white when you're out with friends.

Crunch it up. Crunchy foods like apples, carrots and celery can help scrub stains from your teeth. They'll also help dislodge particles from between your teeth (at least until you can get back to your dental floss). Think about it -- have you ever met a horse with stained teeth?

Don't smoke. This is good advice no matter how you slice it. It's better for your lungs, your heart and the people around you. From a dental standpoint, avoiding cigarettes is essential to keeping white teeth. Look at anyone who's been smoking for years: Nicotine can stain your teeth an ugly shade of yellow.

Don't bother with over-the-counter solutions. The American Dental Association doesn't endorse any of the teeth whitening kits you see at the pharmacy; indeed, most of them only whiten teeth for a short time, and many will make your gums sore in the process. Better to ask your dentist. Speaking of which...

Visit your dentist for professional teeth whitening. If you're looking for a new dentist, make teeth whitening an item on your checklist. Many qualified dentists have whole arsenals of tried-and-true tactics for whitening teeth. What's more, a dentist can give you the best advice on how to keep your teeth looking great.

The dentists at Comprehensive Family Dentistry have been giving advice onteeth whiteningto patients in Newtown, Langhorne, Yardley, Philadelphia and the greater Bucks County area for years. Call today for an appointment.