Learn How to Whiten Teeth

When you want to look your very best, you want your teeth to be white and clean. There is nothing like stained or yellow teeth that can make you seem older or less attractive than you really are. Having a healthy looking and bright smile is attractive to everyone you meet and when you have white teeth you will notice the compliments you get. Oh, what a beautiful smile you have, people will say. And you will have the confidence to smile as well when you know your teeth look great.

But how do you remove the stains and discoloration that your teeth are subject to? There are actually many ways people go about whitening their teeth. Some of these ways are done by going to see your dentist, some can be done at home with products you by from the pharmacy or supermarket, and some use standard items found in many homes across the country. All of these methods work for some people and lead to much whiter and more attractive teeth.

There are a few different reasons that your teeth may not be as white as they once where. How you choose to whiten your teeth will be based somewhat on the cause for your tooth discoloration. You might be able to whiten your teeth at home or you might have better luck going to the dentist.

First of all, your teeth can get stained or yellowed through your diet. People who smoke or drink a lot of coffee or tea can end up with stains and discolorations on their teeth. Other foods like red wine, grape juice, and even curry can lead to staining as well. Another reason teeth become stained looking is when your teeth begin to develop many hairline cracks and fissures on their surface. Foods and other things get caught in these fissures, leading to a loss of tooth whitening. Finally, although the outer layer of tooth enamel is white, underlying layers of the teeth are more yellow in color. If the white portion of the enamel is worn away, the yellow will begin to show through. This can happen with aging.

Now that you know why teeth become stained or yellow, you can have a better idea of which of the of techniques available to whiten teeth will be most effective for you. If you're wondering, "how much does teeth whitening cost," then your options may be a little more limited, but this is a good place to start to research what kind of teeth whitening you may need. For those with relatively minor staining of the teeth, you might want to try one of the home remedies for tooth whitening that many people have found helpful.

To make a home teeth whitening solution, all you will need is some baking soda and some hydrogen peroxide, both of which are very common in the home. Simply take a tablespoon of the baking soda and mix it with a small quantity of hydrogen peroxide, enough to make a paste with about the same consistency as toothpaste. In fact, you may add a bit of toothpaste to the mixture to make it taste better. Then, all you need do is brush your teeth with the mixture for several minutes. This can bleach away many of the surface stains associated with yellow teeth.

Another option is to use one of the home teeth whitening kits available either through your dentist or at the drug store. These bleaching kits are effective for people with stained teeth, with the dentist-sold kits usually a bit better for badly stained teeth. By following the directions that come with these whitening kits, many people have greatly improved the whiteness of their teeth.

If you have very deep stains or yellowing of teeth from cracked or worn enamel, then your best bet for teeth whitening might be to go to your dentist. He or she can perform a thorough cleaning of your teeth to get out stubborn stains. Another option is to have tooth veneers applied to your teeth by your dentist. These custom tooth coatings are bonded to the tooth with special resins and act as a second layer of tooth enamel for greater whiteness.

So, as you can see, there are quite a few options on how to whiten teeth. Talk to your dentist and see what he or she recommends for you. It may be that your dentist will recommend a mixture of these techniques. In any case, start your teeth whitening process today and look your very best.