Obtaining whiter teeth and a great smile is a combination of several factors. Whilst whiter teeth are generally the initial desire, the benefits of strong teeth, healthy gums and mouth are all important to see us safely through our lifetime.

Unlike the rest of our body (skin, teeth and bones) that generally “repair” or re grow over time our teeth do not, starting to look after them from an early age is important – however it never to late to start.
The secrets to a healthy smile are :-

• Maintain a good oral care program
• Teeth Whitening
• Diet & Lifestyle

Let’s look at these in more detail and see how we can get whiter teeth and a great smile:-

1). Maintain a Good Oral Care Program – Brushing - Flossing - Rinsing

This is the base of obtaining a great smile and it is important to start from a young age and maintain throughout your adult life.

Failure to brush for at least 2 minutes, at least twice a day, floss regularly and rinse will lead to the build up of plaque. See our guide on 'How To Brush Your Teeth'
 

• Plaque is very important to remove, if left alone in just 48 hours it will harden on the tooth’s surface enamel can lead to decay and rot.
• So to prevent this it is crucial to brush your teeth at least twice a day and ideally with a good whitening toothpaste.
• Brushing your teeth will prevent plaque build up, which will prevent tooth stain as plaque turns yellow, and if left over time will penetrate the tooths surface enamel and stain the dentin underneath.
• Flossing removes trapped particles in between the teeth and rinsing will help strengthen our tooth enamel which becomes thinner as we age.

2). Teeth Whitening

Having your teeth whitened either by a dental professional or teeth whitening from home will “bleach” those tough stains that have hardened and cannot be removed anymore.

This applies to both surface and intrinsic tooth stains. As an annual treatment using a teeth whitening kit will prevent further stain build up and if used in conjunction with brushing, flossing and rinsing should see your teeth at their natural shade for most of the year.

3). Diet & Lifestyle

Drinking lots of fizzy drinks, smoking, drinking red wine, tea, coffee and eating foods like curries, tomatoes etc is going to cause more tooth stain than those who don’t consume these types of foodstuffs.

It is fairly difficult to avoid all “sugars” that we are presented with. There are healthy sugars – such as those found in milk (lactose) and fruit and veggies (fructose) and the carbohydrates found in whole grains, pasta, rice, potatoes and snack foods like chips and crackers.

Our bodies use these sugars in many important ways. However they can pose a problem to our teeth if we continuously feed the bacteria in our mouths.

Bacteria is the real pain as it does not discriminate – it likes ALL sugar! The mouth produces a neutralising acid which breaks down the “sugars” – however constant snacking (especially in children) does not allow enough time for these acids to work.

Ideally you should leave at least two hours between main meals and snacks for this to effectively work.

Good foods & drinks for maintaining a great smile include things like chicken, firm/crunchy fruits (for example, apples and pears) and vegetables.

These foods have a high water content, which dilutes the effects of the sugars they contain, and stimulate the flow of saliva (which helps protect against decay by washing away food particles and buffering acid).

As with all healthy diets, plenty of water is very important as well as milk and unsweetened tea, reducing the consumption of drinks high in sugar like cola, lemonade and adding sugar to tea and coffee is equally important.