Sofia asks: "How can I get safely whiter teeth at home?"Good question! Everyone wants whiter teeth, but going in for a treatment at your dentist’s office can be insanely pricey. Luckily, there’s an abundance of... Sofia asks: "How can I get safely whiter teeth at home?"Good question! Everyone wants whiter teeth, but going in for a treatment at your dentist’s office can be insanely pricey. Luckily, there’s an abundance of products at the drugstore that will help you (safely) get a brighter grin.
"Smile Stylists" Dr. Jason Olitsky and his wife Dr. Colleen Olitsky of Jacksonville, FL, say, "We’ve tested most of the over the counter products ourselves and decided that the strip type works the best. They do the best job of keeping the bleach close to the teeth and preventing it from being washed away by saliva." To make the bleaching process less ho-hum, the Smile Stylists recommend, "combine teeth whitening time with other chores, like taking a shower, to make it seem less time consuming! Also, try to avoid foods and drinks that tend to stain teeth for 24-48 hours after whitening, such as coffee, tea, tobacco products, ketchup, soda, soy sauce, berry pies... anything dark in color! As a general rule, if it’ll stain a white shirt, it’ll stain your teeth. And keep in mind, that you CAN over-whiten your teeth! Teeth that are over-whitened will start to look gray at the biting edges. It’s uncommon, but can occur after many months or years of whitening."
Dr. Adam Diasti, creator of the Luster Premium Whitening system suggests, "Make a paste of baking soda, salt, and water. Used regularly it can help remove stains. Also, if you can’t brush your teeth after every meal or snack, just drink a glass of water. It will help clear off the stain-causing debris left on teeth." For a more direct approach (with zero tooth sensitivity) Dr. Diasti recommends his Luster system, "Luster Premium White products are developed by dentists and incorporate the newest technology in at-home tooth whitening. We created three different Luster Premium White products in order to give you plenty of options in terms of time and whitening preferences. Luster 1 Hour White utilizes a tooth whitening light, an accelerator mouth rinse and a whitening gel and can whiten teeth up to six shades in one hour. Luster Weekend White consists of the accelerator mouth rinse and whitening gel, and can whiten teeth up to six shades in three days. Finally, Luster On-The-Go White is convenient unit dose ampoules that you simply swipe on your teeth--they whiten teeth up to four shades in seven days with twice daily use!"
According to New York-based celebrity cosmetic dentist Dr. Jennifer Jablow, at-home teeth-whitening products should be handled with care: "The best of the bunch in the drugstore is Crest Whitestrips, but they can cause gum irritation, so be sure to use sparingly. Beware of the one-size-fits-all trays because the peroxide can spill over on the gums, which can be very painful. I also like rinses with peroxide like Rembrandt Whitening Rinse because it gets in between the teeth and helps to release the stain." Not to mention, it contains tooth-strengthening fluoride! To maintain a brilliant smile, Dr. Jablow says to "brush with an electric toothbrush--it will help break up the stains. Also, have a professional cleaning twice a year, and use IntelliWHiTE STAiN ERASER every day, on the go to instantly zap stains, freshen breath and polish teeth. IntelliWHiTE contains no peroxide, so it can be used as often as needed and causes no irritation. It actually creates a barrier on the teeth to prevent stains, so the more you use it the better off you are. Also, try to snack on crunchy foods like carrots, celery, and apples because they all have a natural brushing action. Apples also contain malic acid, which can help dissolve stains as well!"
