Have you ever stopped to think about how many beauty products you use? Between skincare, hair care, and cosmetics, it’s possible to use dozens in a single day. Even if every one of those products did its job, they wouldn’t make as big an impact as a beautiful white smile!
You may not even think of it as a beauty product, but the right teeth whitener can make you look younger, fresher, and more beautiful than anything else you can buy.
Why it’s important to whiten
Whether we like it or not, studies have shown that people make judgments about others based on their teeth. People with white teeth are perceived as being cleaner, smarter and more successful. No matter how nice your hair and skin, it’s hard to look young or beautiful with stained, yellow teeth.
The way your teeth look makes a huge impact, whether it’s positive or negative. Since teeth whitening can now be performed easily and affordably at home, it’s time to make your teeth work to your advantage.
How teeth get stained or discolored
Just like our hair and skin can change shade, lose their luster and start looking dull as we age, so can our teeth. Some of this change is natural, like greying hair, but a lot of it comes from what we eat and drink. Although they look hard and solid, teeth are actually porous. Stains from dark food and drink, or smoking, soak into them and make them look dull and dingy. In fact, over time, anything that stains a white t-shirt can eventually stain your teeth.
Choosing a whitener and getting best results
The most important factor in getting a good result is choosing a product that fits your lifestyle.
Whiteners are available in many forms – strips, trays, ampoules, pens, toothpastes that contain peroxide – that can all be very effective, but require different amounts of effort and time. When choosing a whitener, consider 3 things: what you have to do, how much time per day you have to spend doing it, and the total number of days in the regimen.
Consistency and continuity are key – you don’t want to stop mid-program and start again later – so pick a whitener that you’ll be able to commit to. Schedule your whitening for a period of time you’ll be following a regular schedule and won’t have to skip a day.
To make sure you don’t undo the progress you make during the regimen, avoid staining or acidic food and drinks for the duration of your teeth whitening treatment and a few days after. Your teeth will be particularly susceptible to staining during this time.
Tips and tricks to maintain white teeth between treatments
Although a whitened smile can last for months, the results are not permanent. Like any skin, hair or other beauty treatment, teeth whitening must be repeated regularly to maintain results. However, there are things you can do to keep your teeth looking white for as long as possible:
- Rinse your mouth with water during and after meals to keep food acids and residue from sitting on your teeth. Chewing gum or sucking sugar-free hard candy can also help “rinse” teeth by increasing your salivary flow, helping to keep new stains from setting.
- Brush your teeth after eating or drinking, but not immediately after. Give acids from food and drink like tomato sauce or orange juice a chance to dissipate a bit before adding toothpaste and scrubbing.
- To make teeth look whiter, try wearing a “cool-toned” lipstick color (like pink), as opposed to warm shades (like peach or coral).
- Be careful with wine – and not just red wine! Surprisingly, white wine can be even more staining to teeth than red! White wines are often more acidic, which can make colors from foods that you eat with it set deeper into teeth. When you drink, try to alternate sips of wine with sips of water.
We all want beauty products that make us look younger, fresher and more beautiful. If you haven’t whitened your teeth, or if it’s been a while since you have, it’s time to see what a white smile can do for you!
About the Author
GO SMiLE Communications Manager Jennifer Mathias has been working in the beauty industry for almost 10 years, developing and marketing skincare, cosmetics, and now oral care – “smile beauty” – products. She’s a self-professed product junkie and chemistry geek who loves digging past the marketing hype to find high-functioning products based on real science. She loves communicating the cosmetic and technical aspects of GO SMiLE products and teeth whitening in general, to help women make intelligent choices about their beauty investments
