A few years ago, I started thinking carefully about what I could do to improve my smile. I had lived with crooked, yellowed teeth for most of my adult life, and honestly, I just wanted to feel beautiful. I started thinking about working with a cosmetic dentist, and before I knew it, I was in an office getting a complimentary consultation. I learned about a variety of different procedures that could improve my look, and it was really fun. I wanted to create a blog all about making smiles more beautiful, which is why I made this website. Check out this blog for great information about dentistry.
There is nothing quite like that smooth clean and refreshed feeling that your teeth have after you have your teeth cleaned at the dentist. Chances are you will be working hard to maintain that brightness after your dental cleaning so you can feel just as confident with your smile in a few months as you do right after your visit. While there are all kinds of ways that people claim will work to keep your teeth whiter and brighter, there are a few DIY dental cleaning methods that should just be left alone.
Don't use hydrogen peroxide everyday to clean your teeth.
It is fine to use hydrogen peroxide occasionally for dental cleaning, but doing this daily can actually be harmful to the soft tissue in your mouth--especially your gums. Plus, not all hydrogen peroxide products have the same potency or purity levels, so you could be damaging the enamel of your teeth if you are using a peroxide product for dental cleaning that has a higher potency. If you really want to use peroxide as a mouth rinse, do so only on occasion.
Skip lemon juice and other acidic solutions as dental cleansers without brushing.
Your dentist will tell you plainly that acidic foods and beverages can be harmful to your teeth if they are a regular part of your diet and you don't brush enough. So it may seem odd that there are recommendations for people to clean their teeth using lemon juice. Lemon juice can be effective at breaking down stubborn stains, but it is best to only use lemon juice for this purpose and then brush immediately after you get done. If you leave lemon juice on your teeth for several hours without brushing, the acid can be damaging to the enamel of your teeth.
Be careful with questionable home whitening products.
There are some fairly good home whitening products that will help your smile look clean between dental cleanings, but there are also those that have questionable ingredients that may cause damage in the long term. If you try to use whitening products that have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, you never truly know what you are getting and what you do get could cause more damage than good. Talk to your dentist—like those at Milner Dentistry and other offices—about any whitening product you would like to use to make sure it is safe for your teeth.
Share19 February 2016
