If you feel like your beautiful, big smile is interrupted by yellowing or dark spots on your teeth, you’re not alone. Most people feel embarrassed by tooth stains, often making them self-conscious, which lowers their self-esteem and prevents them from smiling more. Luckily, there are several ways to minimize and remove stains from teeth.
It’s essential to understand the many different types of tooth stains to determine which stains you have. Knowing what type of tooth stain you have and understanding the root cause can help guide you toward choosing the best treatment.
It’s also important to note that while many stain removal methods work quite well for extrinsic stains, there are also intrinsic stains that may point to underlying issues, which should be addressed by your dentist.
Ready to get rid of embarrassing yellowing enamel and dark spots? Here is how to remove stains from teeth and make them as bright and pearly white as possible.
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
The surest way to remove stains from teeth is to simply practice good oral hygiene. At a minimum, you should brush your teeth for two minutes, twice a day, and floss daily. However, you can take many additional steps to keep your breath fresh and teeth stain-free and healthy.
Extra stain-removing oral hygiene tips:
- If you can, brush your teeth after each meal, especially if it was high in sugar, chromogens and tannins (hello, chocolate, coffee and wine!).
- For those above the age of six, swish with a fluoride-based mouthwash after you brush your teeth and rinse your mouth with water.
- Twice a week, brush your teeth with a solution of baking soda and water.
Use Teeth Whitening Products
The second-best way to remove stains from teeth is to use teeth whitening products alongside your oral hygiene routine. Fortunately, GO SMILE offers a variety of over-the-counter teeth whitening products that are perfect for doing just that.
Our advanced formula teeth whitening gel is ideal for removing stains. Containing Hyperox™ technology, the gel can penetrate your teeth for deep whitening far below the surface level stains. Plus, unlike many teeth whitening gels and applicators, it has no sensitivity. And if you need a quick whitening solution before a meeting or after dinner, try our on-the-go tooth stain eraser. It slips right into your pocket or purse!
Eat Proper Foods
It goes without saying that what goes in our mouths significantly affects our teeth. So it’s essential to reach for healthier, more nutritious foods that prevent discoloration and stains and strengthen the enamel. Foods that are considered high in fiber and offer roughage can scrub away bacteria and plaque. And others can even form a protective barrier and neutralize enamel-softening acids.
Stain-reducing foods
- Leafy greens: Kale, spinach and broccoli
- Fermented yogurts
- Cheeses (but beware of bad breath!)
- High-fiber fruits and veggies: Apples, pears, bananas, celery and avocado
- Antioxidant-rich foods: Carrots, ginger and garlic
- Whole grains and nuts
Stain-causing foods
- Refined sugars
- Artificial food coloring
- Coffees and teas
- Red wine
- Dark liquors
- Dark and citrus fruit juices
- Dark sauces: Soy sauce and tomato sauce
Stop Smoking
Last but not least, if you smoke – stop! Tobacco products, nicotine and smoking are harmful to your oral hygiene in countless ways. For starters, it can cause oral cancers and gum disease.
The good news is that you don’t have to quit cold turkey. Today, numerous addiction-curving devices, such as nicotine patches and chewing gum, can help you quit slowly and gently.
Get a Professional Cleaning
It’s important to schedule routine dentist appointments for an overall checkup, primarily to diagnose those intrinsic stain-causing issues that need to be addressed immediately. However, a dentist can also offer professional cleaning services that can help reduce stains, too.
For example, some discoloration is a result of tartar buildup. But a dentist will have all the necessary tools to scrape off and remove any tartar and plaque. They can also perform specific procedures, such as bleaching or using a topical fluoride application to remove stains and offer a protective barrier to reduce decay.
Even if you have intrinsic stains, like the permanent discoloration caused by fluorosis, a dentist can offer options to brighten your smile with white composite fillings, veneers and crowns. If you tend to grind your teeth, leaving marks, they can also get you fitted for a night guard or retainer.
With the Coronavirus pandemic affecting different locations across the country differently, some non-essential dental care may need to be delayed until further notice. Be sure to talk to your dentist about the best time for you to come into the office.
Ready for Stain-Free Pearly Whites?
Now that you have some tips and tricks on how to remove stains from teeth, brush up on your oral hygiene routine and test out one of our wonderful teeth whitening solutions. Before long, you’ll be flashing those pearly whites at everyone you meet.
Browse our Full Teeth Whitening Kits
