A COSMETIC DENTIST’S HACKS TO BRIGHTER TEETH IN MINUTES!

Excited about that date tonight, but haven’t managed to visit your dentist for that long overdue cleaning and polishing? We all know what a huge difference a great smile can make to improve your look. So here are some cosmetic dentist home remedies for a last-minute attempt to brighten your smile!

These are only temporary measures. For long-lasting effects, speak to your dentist.

1. An Apple a Day might actually keep that doctor away, at least for now!

Eating fibrous foods like apples, carrots, and celery helps to remove yellowness. Crunchy fruits and veggies like apples and carrots increase saliva flow, and chewing on a celery stalk will help remove loose plaque from your teeth.

2. Home remedies work- but when used cautiously

That age old remedy your grandma told you about might just come in handy for a last minute attempt. Squeeze some lemon juice into a tablespoon of baking soda. Dip your toothbrush into the mix and brush your teeth in a circular motion for 2 minutes. Rinse well and notice the immediate shine.

But must be noted: Baking soda is pretty abrasive and lemon juice is very acidic. Using this mixture too often might wear out your dental enamel.

3. A little black for that white.

Charcoal infused toothbrushes and toothpastes do work to some extent due to the effect of the activated charcoal molecules. But they shouldn’t be used for more than a month and must be discontinued if they cause sensitivity.

I don’t recommend the DIY charcoal whitening that’s being touted by numerous fashion blogs online. Excess charcoal can be harmful to the teeth and its effects on ingestion are not fully known. It is not worth risking your health.

4. Those Orbit/Happydent chewing gum ads might just be true

The chewing motion flushes the mouth with saliva loosens stains, plaque and bacteria—just be sure it’s sugar free. Additionally, xylitol- the artificial sweetener found in these chewing gums claim to have a number of health benefits.. but that’s a blog for another day.

5. Choosing the right lipstick can make a world of a difference

Certain lipstick shades can make teeth look whiter (while others do exactly the opposite). Here is a definitive guide of which shades to choose and avoid that will act like an instant whitening treatment.

Here is the basic thing to remember: The colour wheel has blue and yellow on opposite sides on the spectrum. So that basically means that the two colours tend to nullify each other when juxtaposed together. Therefore, lipsticks formulated with a blue base will help cancel out any orange or yellow tones on your teeth. Keeping this in mind, lets go through the options.

1. Reds

Pick a blue/ scarlet based shade over an orang-y red. It’s already well known that scarlet shades flatter pretty much all skin tones. An added benefit is their immediate whitening effect on teeth!

2. Dark Pinks

A berry/ purple toned pink will do better than because of their stronger blue based hues.

3. Light pinks

Although salmon or coral hued pinks are wildly popular today, their orange tones will bring out the yellow in your teeth. Choose a berry tone instead.

4. Dark hues

Let’s be honest, brown lipsticks don’t really do any favours for your smile. Instead, they bring out the brown tones in your teeth. Instead, pick a dark red/ scarlet/ purple whose blue hues whiten your smile and deep contrast brighten those pearlies.

Also, although neons often look great and are currently trending tend to make you look more tanned, and similarly tend to dull your teeth.

5. Nude Shades

If you choose to go nude, go with a little gloss. If you look carefully, your lippy gloss tube has a bluish hue but applies clear. That subtle blue tinge which is not otherwise noticeable on application is enough to add that little pop your teeth require to shine!

Things to remember:

Few tips incorporated into your daily routine will help keep your teeth bright

• Lessen your intake of black coffee/ tea/ red wine and of course cigarettes. Also a quick rinse of water after these indulgences lessens the chance of the stains sticking to your teeth.
• Sodas and sugar are the worst thing you can do to your teeth. The more you can eliminate from your diet, the better it is.
• And most importantly- twice a day brushing, routine flossing and 6 monthly cleaning and polishing at your dentist not just brighten your smile but keep your teeth and gums healthy too.