I need tips for whitening my teeth and getting rid of bad breath?!
Question: I need help with my worst feature on my body... my teeth! I brush my teeth with special toothpaste and I try and try to whiten my teeth and get rid of bad breath! Any tips? Thanks
Answers: I need help with my worst feature on my body... my teeth! I brush my teeth with special toothpaste and I try and try to whiten my teeth and get rid of bad breath! Any tips? Thanks
Dental hygienist here. This is a long one, but it's bursting at the seams with info! I'll address the whitening issue first, then the malodor.
Whitening your teeth is easy. There are several options: Over-the-counter strips (think Crest or Listerine) will be more effective than your rinses. Whitening toothpastes contain abrasive materials designed to help remove stain, but do not "bleach" your teeth. In-office procedures like Zoom are very quick but can leave you with some hefty sensitivity issues. Also, there have been some lawsuits involving the light-activated/laser whitening systems. Take-home whitening gels from your dentist are a very effective and safer way to whiten teeth; the dentist takes impressions and makes models of your teeth. From those, customized trays that fit all the contours, nooks and crannies of your teeth are made. The gel is placed in the trays, and within 7-14 days, you should have a very nice result. The cost varies, but anything over $200 for a whitening system is too much. In the meantime, get a good cleaning to remove stain and any calculus/tarter deposits that could be holding stain---this could prevent the "bleach" from doing its job. Also, watch your intake of dark drinks like coffee, tea and sodas. Drink through a straw to help keep the stain to a minimum. Think of your teeth as a white shirt: if you spill something dark on it, you want to wash it out before the stain sets. The same goes for your teeth: brush the stain off before it sets. Easy rule to live by, eh?
Now, for the bad breath question. Our mouths are filled with all kinds of nasty critters:bacteria, fungi, viruses, you name it. The bacteria, in particular, can release a nasty aroma. First, get a good cleaning. The hard calculus/tarter is rough like the surface of a brick and acts as a magnet and holding area for plaque. Next, you have to brush and floss regularly. Studies show that power brushes like Sonicare really do a more effective job of removing plaque. Use a tongue scraper. Drink water. Gargle with a mouthwash, but watch out for those with high alcohol content like Listerine--- they can lead to dry mouth which can contribute to malodor. Watch what you eat---are you crazy about obvious bad-breath contributors like onions, feta cheese or garlic? Are you taking any meds that leave you with dry mouth? You may need to treat the dry mouth symptoms. Do you have heartburn or acid reflux? These can contribute, as well, and may need to be treated. Do you have any sinus/allergy problems? Post-nasal drip is a big cause of bad breath. Lastly, sometimes the folds around the tonsils or the tonsils themselves can hold little "stink bombs"--- white balls of bacteria and bacterial waste products. You can check for these by looking in the mirror and opening wide---make sure you say "aah" so that your soft palate raises up and you can see. Sometimes coughing will pop them out, or even working at them with a cotton swab may work.
Best of luck, and don't forget to floss!!
brush and gargle dummy
i have tryed whitening strips, whiteing toothpaste, strawberrys, brushing frequenly, it dosen have any long term affects. look into professionsl whitening. a litllte $$ but it is worth it.
Bad breath can have 2 sources. Your mouth and your stomach. If it is your mouth, you must floss and see a dentist or hygienist to clean areas you can't reach with brushing and flossing alone. Also don't forget to brush your tongue. To whiten without spending a lot of $ try crest whitestrips or some other over the counter whitening product that contains peroxide. Whitening toothpastes just don't work, they may help remove some stain but they technically don't whiten.
I'd say try the crest white strips first, you do have to touch up when the teeth start to get stained again but it's not an every week type of thing. The whitening chewing gum, mouth washes, and tooth pastes are all just a waste of money. These are selling gimics and do not do what they really say they do. All they have to do in order to claim that, is the product has to do only 1 on the things that the package says. You have to be an educated consumer these days...everyone is just out to make fast money, so do some researching. As for the bad breath....brush twice daily for @ least 2 minutes, floss every day, mouth washes help, & tongue brushing and scrapping. You can buy a combination tongue brush/scrapper for under $2....it is a great investment and you'll love the results. The tongue gets a ton of nasty build up on it and a lot of times, you can't even tell just how much there is...you'll be amazed the first time you use it!
use dental floss
Ok for whitening you have your dentist make a mold of your teeth and then you put the gel in there. You want to use the best , it is from a company called Discuss Dental. It takes some time but trust me it will work. For the breath I guess try listerine.
Get a tongue cleanser to get rid of bad breath! 80% of bacteria that causes bad breath is on your toungue and inside cheeks! So get some non-alcohol mouthwash, tongue cleanser and a Colgate 360!!
Check out these products. Money back guarantee and free shipping in the USA. I use this one for bad breath: http://www.oramd.com?kbid=2141 . I have been using it for about a year, and it is wonderful. For whitening check this one out: http://www.maximumteethwhitening.com?kbi... Good products.