Tips to Avoid Dull, Stained Teeth
Did you know that there are things you can do that are relatively simple and not such a huge pain in the butt, even if you happen to be a smoker, that can help you maintain white, clean looking teeth and add a ton to your appearance and smile? The first tip is actually focused for coffee and tea drinkers and some may not like the idea, but it definitely reduces the contact of the staining factor to the teeth, which is what is needed for stain avoidance.
Try drinking staining beverages through a straw. This way, the drink passes by the teeth and goes straight down the throat, minimizing contact and therefore also minimizing it’s potential to stain the teeth.
The reason that teeth absorb deeply colored foods and beverages is that they have a degree of porosity to them, just like every bone in the body, and because of their porous quality, they do absorb and take on deep colors, making them appear brown or yellow instead of their natural white.
As we age, you see this process compound, since our teeth have absorbed thousands of staining foods and beverages as we get older and consume more and more over time. Plus, the aging process alone can leave teeth duller and tinted. Drinking damaging beverages through a straw will help with the introduction of these substances that speed the staining process up.
The problem is that the stronger you drink your tea or coffee, the more staining potential it has since it takes on a deeper “stain”, and has more ability to stain your teeth because it is more concentrated. Similarly if you eat darkly colors fruits, esepecially blueberries or grape juice or lots of dark wines, you will notice that they have strong staining factors that sometimes are almost immediately visible.
If you are a smoker, you really can’t avoid the tar that emits from smoke from clinging to your teeth and sinking in to create a darker appearance, but there are some products you can try that help to take the tar off, but they must be used once every night at least, especially after a day of smoking.
One is a mouthwash called Targon which is used prior to brushing the teeth. It helps to pull tar stains out of the teeth, and loosening them up so that when you brush your teeth you are actually brushing tar stains out. Many smokers swear by this one.
Strawberries are actually a natural tooth whitener, especially when eaten raw and by themselves. Not only are they a natural teeth whitener, but they are also high in antioxidants and tasty, so noshing on strawberries daily can help to whiten teeth naturally.
There are several tooth whitening chewing gums available now that claim to help combat stains and keep teeth white and bright. If you pop a piece of this gum after you’re eaten a meal with staining foods or a beverages that is dark in color, this may help to offset the effects of the food or beverage consumed.
Also there are some quality teeth whitening toothpastes that can be purchased at your local drugstore that have teeth whitening capabilities, especially if they’re used right after consuming something that may stain the teeth and take away the whiteness even more.
