Archive for February, 2012

It is best to avoid anything that stains the teeth like tea, coffee, and liquids too hot or cold is to be avoided. So avoiding smoking that causes nicotine stains on teeth and blackens them with exposure to heat is to be avoided at all cost.

Generally whitening of teeth is not advisable during pregnancy and nursing, as the chemicals used may affect the baby and you. There is no conclusive evidence whether laser teeth whitening is safe or not during pregnancy and nursing, it is best to postpone the procedure considering the health of the newborn as vital. However healthy teeth and gums are vital so preventing pregnancy periodontal disease and gingivitis proves absolutely necessary. Your dentist would advice you accordingly.

No, it is best to avoid tea and coffee or any colored fluid that may stain the teeth after whitening. If you must you could drink coffee using a straw. In addition it is best to avoid drinking too hot or too cold fluids that can cause changes in the teeth and allow the stains to penetrate. The teeth absorbs colors most in the first 3 days after whitening that ultimately harden and become permanent.

There are various replies to this question, with each person talking out ones own experiences. Many are of the opinion that brushing before whitening makes sense as it helps to scrub off and make the teeth more even for the whitening strips or whitener to be applied. It may be all right to brush after whitening but it should be done gently.

Some contend that the whitening product used, as the product used for bleaching could involve the opening of the pores on the teeth and make them sensitive, with brushing with fluoride toothpaste helping to close them. It also pays to wipe off the excess bleach before it burns the gums. It is better to follow the dentists instructions like brushing and flossing the teeth before and after whitening treatment for good results.

To conclude as a general rule it is best to brush and floss before to remove bacteria and after the trays are removed to remove excess gel or whitening agent.

As a general rule teeth whitening strips are not bad for the teeth, with simple ones causing no problem at all. Your teeth could turn bluish permanently if used more than what is directed, with the teeth turning brittle. Also most whitening products contain around 3% bleach that is not recommended by health experts, with about 0.1% bleach found acceptable.

It is also to be realized that whitening strips provide for a strip on the upper teeth and one for the lower teeth, each of them pressed against the outer surface. However recesses and grooves between teeth could show up as dingy cracks, more like a painted fence that looks good from outside, but whose groves show up dark and dingy.