For millions of people across the UK, a whiter smile is far from superficial. Confidence issues in relation to stained and yellow teeth are far from uncommon. In fact, research suggests that around three in every four adults would like to do something about the colour of their teeth.
For a handful of reasons, Christmas can be a tricky time for those who are self-conscious about the whiteness (or otherwise) of their teeth. Along with constant temptation, you’re also likely to spend extensive periods of time with family and friends. If you don’t have confidence in the appearance of your teeth, Christmas can be an intimidating time to say the least.
There is, however, a simple solution.
For one thing, the dental health market is literally bursting at the seams with outstanding teeth whitening kitsof incredible quality. Particularly if you speak to a dentist for their own personal recommendations, you could be looking at a whiter smile in a matter of days. Hence, there’s still plenty of time to do something about it. Likewise, simply stepping up to a higher-quality electric toothbrushand powered water-flosser could make a huge difference to the appearance of your teeth.
After which, it’s a case of ensuring you do whatever you can to prevent your teeth from becoming excessively stained over the Christmas period. With a little willpower and the following expert tips, there’s no reason why you can’t welcome the New Year with a smile to be proud of:
Brush After Eating and Drinking
Right off the bat, it’s useful to get into the habit of giving your teeth and the rest of your mouth a careful clean after consuming anything with the capacity to stain. That said, the importance of being gentle cannot be overstated. Getting carried away with aggressive or excessive brushing can actually be worse than not brushing at all. For the sake of your teeth, the best approach is to give them a gentle brush with a super-soft brush and a dentist recommended mouthwash after each meal. Or if this isn’t a plausible option, use a whitening mouthwash on a regular basis throughout the day.
Floss Every Day
Make no mistake about it – regular use of mouthwash doesn’t mean you can get away without flossing. All three components of your daily regime – brushing, rinsing and flossing – bring their unique benefits to the table. To leave any one of the three out of the equation is to do a number on your oral health and hygiene. Particularly when it comes to whitening, this is notthe time of year to get lazy with your daily regime. Get into the habit of flossing once or twice a day, using an electric water-flosser for the best possible results. Try to keep a small roll of dental floss to hand at all times and you’re far less likely to forget.
Use a Quality Whitening Toothpaste
You need to be realistic when it comes to the effectiveness and purpose of whitening toothpaste. Contrary to the apparent claims of major manufacturers, a whitening toothpaste alone cannot and will not whiten your teeth. They’re not nearly powerful enough to do the same job as a high-quality teeth whitening kit. Instead, whitening toothpastes are all about removing surface stains and preventing new stains from setting in. Hence, they can do an outstanding job keeping your teeth white if used on a regular basis. Not all whitening pastes are of the same high-quality standard, to speak to your dentist or pharmacist for their recommendations.
Drink Through a Straw
If you plan on drinking coffee, tea or red wine over Christmas – which may be inevitable – consider doing so through a straw. Strange as it may look and feel at first, it’s a tried and tested method for preventing the liquid coming into direct contact with your teeth. As a result, the potential for said liquid to stain your teeth is also significantly reduced. It’s becoming such a popular tactic that there are even specialist wine glasses and coffee cups on the market right now with elegant straws built-in.
Use a Charcoal or Baking Soda Product
There are countless stain-prevention products on the market right now that use activated charcoal or baking soda as the active ingredient. Though research into both remains somewhat rudimentary, there’s anecdotal evidence to suggest they can be great for helping avoid or reduce stains. Baking soda has a gentle abrasive action on the teeth, while activated charcoal gets the job done through its millions of tiny pores that absorb and remove unwanted nasties from the mouth. Again, it’s worth speaking to your dentist or pharmacist for their recommendations.
Stay Hydrated
A dry mouth is the worst enemy anyone who prioritised whiter teeth. The saliva in your mouth with the most importantly of all, protecting your teeth from stains and generally looking after your oral health. When you become dehydrated, the mouth is unable to perform its most important functions and your teeth are far more likely to succumb to stains. Particularly when indulging over the Christmas period before, it’s important to keep close tabs on your hydration levels.
Try Some Cheese
Consumed in excessive quantities, cheese isn’t considered to be a particularly healthy food. Consumed in moderation however, it can assist the body with any number of key functions. For one thing, calcium is essential for healthy teeth and bones. In addition, cheese is known to actively help reset acid levels in the mouth to healthy norms, which is great news for your teeth and gums. So if cheese is your thing, you’ve now got at least one good excuse to indulge this Christmas!
Chew Gum
Last up, always have a few sticks of gum close to hand over the Christmas period. There’s really no better way of keeping tabs on your oral health and hygiene between brushings than by chewing sugar-free gum. By encouraging your mouth to produce more saliva, you significantly reduce the likelihood of stains setting in. All while boosting your mouth’s natural defences, which can reduce the risk of cavities, gum disease, bad breath and so much more besides.
