Dazzling White Teeth Headquarters

Hi!  I had been unhappy with my smile for a while.  But, now I have Dazzling White Teeth!

I finally had enough when I went to Thanksgiving with the extended family.  My cousin brought his youngsters and while we were joking around and poking fun at each other, one of them called me “a yellow toothed monster”.

Kids can be so cruel and honest.  Sure, we were just joking and playing around.  But, there’s always some truth to jokes.

Even though my innocent young relative didn’t realize it, that comment gave me the motivation to take action.

So, I’ve created this web site Dazzling White Teeth Headquarters.   It is a place to keep track of my investigations and progress.

I will chronicle as I try to change from that “yellow toothed monster” to a more “white toothed monster”.  And, I will, of course, still “crush” my nephew (all good fun as monster crushing goes) on the trampoline at our next Thanksgiving!  However, this time I’ll be the “white toothed monster”.

My first goal of my investigation was to try and identify ALL of the possible ways I could whiten my teeth.  So, I’m trying to put together the definitive list of teeth whitening methods.

Below are my current notes.  Please let me know if you have something I’ve missed.  If so, I’ll investigate it and see if it can help me become and nicer more “white toothed monster” by the next Thanksgiving!

Top 20 Teeth Whitening Methods With Deep Dive Tips

Graphic	Method	Description	Effectiveness (0-10)	Cost	Deep Dive For More Tips
	Teeth Whitening Strips	Over the counter strips put on your teeth for a short period of time to apply whitening chemicals to your teeth.	8	$$$	Deep Dive
	Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)	Used in teeth whitening toothpastes. One of the best ingredients at stain prevention. Less effective at actually making your teeth whiter.	5	$	Deep Dive
	Strawberries	Contains Malic Acid that supposes to whiten teeth. Not found to be effective.	1	$	Deep Dive
	Carbamide Peroxide Strips	Teeth Strips that use Carbamide Peroxide as the main whitening agent.	8	$$$	Deep Dive
	Brushing and Flossing	Age old traditional brushing your teeth and flossing with the added option of doing it before you use your choice of whitening method.	4	$	Deep Dive
	Whitening Pens	Convenient application. Can be one of the more effective methods with the right product.	8	$$ - $$$	Deep Dive
	Hydrogen Peroxide (20%)	Applied at a Dentist office.	9	$$$$	Deep Dive
	Bleaching	Using bleach to chemically change the color of your teeth.	8	$$$$	Deep Dive
	DNA	Unfortunately, you can be born with it.	0	N/A	Deep Dive
	Rinsing	If eating stain causing food/drink, rinse right after consuming to remove stain causing substances.	3	Free	Deep Dive
	Avoid Certain Medicines	Some medicines can affect teeth whiteness.	3	Varies (if needing alternate medicines)	Deep Dive
	Electric Toothbrush	Can be one of the most cost effective methods on the list.	8	$$ - $$$	Deep Dive
	Teeth Veneers	Have a dentist put a thin cover over your teeth. Color is as white as you want. Typically done on an individual tooth that is discolored.	10	$$$$$	Deep Dive
	Salt	Add to your toothpaste or with baking soda for added abrasive texture.	5	$	Deep Dive
	Vitamins	Get your vitamins via pill or good nutrition. Any way is a good way.	7	$-$$	Deep Dive
	Chewing Gum	Whiten your teeth while chewing gum.	3	$-$$	Deep Dive
	Light	Teeth Whitening using light.	3	$$$	Deep Dive
	Coconut Oil Pulling	Swish this "super" ingredient in your mouth for MANY benefits including whiter teeth.	4	$	Deep Dive
	Whitening Mouthwash	Add this whitening habit to you daily ritual for whiter teeth.	5	$	Deep Dive
	Teeth Whitening Swabs	Use the swab to gently rub the product into your teeth.	3	$-$$	Deep Dive

Shall We Elaborate?

Absolutely!

My years of coffee and tea drinking had obviously taken a toll on the whiteness of my teeth.

Here’s the deal:

Teeth whitening methods takes research because they aren’t all created equal. You need to pick the right methods to get back to a gorgeous smile without hurting your teeth or having your teeth hurt you.

Knowing the right ingredients and their potential was key for me to be able to make progress.  From my initial investigation some of the methods can hurt your enamel. Others can be painful if your teeth are the type that are sensitive to the particular method.

Why does this matter?

Below I’ve highlighted what I think are some of the best tools you can add to your teeth whitening arsenal.

Don’t Skimp on Toothpaste

I start with toothpastes.

A great toothpaste might not get you that “big bang” effect you might want if you’re starting out.  But, I highlight toothpastes because I’ll be using it every day.  And, if I’m truly serious about white teeth, multiple times every day.

So, I’m going to start with some of the big hitters to get that jump start on my white teeth.  My initial research finds that including a great whitening toothpaste is what will make the difference between good looking white teeth and dazzling white teeth!

Common Best Whitening Toothpaste Ingredients

The best whitening toothpaste products usually uses a variety of ingredients to both whiten and improve overall tooth health.

These all work differently to whiten teeth and protect them from further staining and dental disease.

The three main ingredients in whitening toothpastes are abrasives, fluoride, and peroxide. You must be careful not to overuse abrasives as this can wear away the enamel of your teeth.

Our Common Teeth Whitening List

While researching best whitening toothpaste products, we found the following to be the ingredients that are most commonly be used to give me dazzling white teeth:

• Sodium bicarbonate is a mild abrasive and is also known as baking soda. Brushing with baking soda helps freshen my breath, cleans my teeth, and neutralizes acids in my mouth that can erode the enamel on my teeth.
• Hydrated silica is another mild abrasive and works to remove stains from my teeth when used while brushing.
• Sodium monofluorophosphate is a type of fluoride helps to prevent cavities and decrease tooth sensitivity that whitening can sometimes cause. Overall, sodium monofluorophosphate is considered to be more effective than sodium fluoride.
• Hydrogen peroxide is the primary whitening agent in a great whitening toothpaste, but the over the counter products are typically a lower concentration than in dental whitening treatments. While the higher the concentration the faster the results, lower percentages can also produce results with consistent use of brushing at least twice daily.
• Carbamide peroxide is a stronger version of peroxide used to whiten teeth by breaking down into urea and hydrogen peroxide. While stronger concentrations can make teeth whiter sooner, overall results are the same. Long-term use of this type of peroxide yields the same results whether the strength is 20 percent or closer to 7 percent.

If a whitening toothpaste does not already contain it, I’ve found that adding baking soda can make a big difference.

But, be careful!  It is very abrasive to be used every day and can actually harm the enamel on your teeth when used too frequently.

Toothpastes that Use These Ingredients

This video discusses a method I’ve tried using baking soda to brighten and whiten my teeth.  I’m not a big fan of the taste with this method.  If you add a little spearmint or peppermint oil, it makes a big difference.

But, some of the products you find at the grocery store hide the bad taste a little better than this method.  But, this can be much cheaper and the baking soda can be as strong as you want it to be (or can tolerate).

There are many whitening toothpastes available and each varies in their whitening ability and other dental care benefits.

The Basic Idea Behind Whitening Toothpastes

I found out while researching whitening toothpastes that the general idea behind the finding the best whitening toothpaste is that it be able to lift stains so that you end up with dazzling white teeth.

Teeth have enamel on the outside and dentin on the inside.

When you eat, smoke and drink, a film forms on top of the enamel and it generally requires a dentist to remove this layer through the use of chemical treatments and scraping.

Parts of Your Teeth

Brushing the teeth can help to cut through this layer, but only to a point.

However, whitening toothpastes are designed to take care of this layer so that surface stains don’t set in.

Tooth enamel is porous.  Over time stains can set into your teeth.

Even a good whitening toothpaste has special chemicals that can penetrate the enamel and cause an oxidation reaction.

This works to attack the compounds that are staining your teeth and break them apart so that the discoloration stops and is reversed, revealing dazzling white teeth. Prevent stains from forming with regular use of whitening toothpastes.  This prevents new stains and lightens old stains.

Read this article about the different parts of a tooth, and how teeth whitening can affect each layer.

How to Get the Most Out a Whitening Toothpaste

It is important to have realistic expectations once you think you’ve found the best whitening toothpaste. Even the best whitening toothpaste will not give you dazzling white teeth after just a few uses.

Use it regularly and per the instructions to achieve the best results.

Most whitening toothpastes are used twice a day, one time in the morning and once at night, to lighten and whiten the color of your teeth.

Depending on the brand you choose, it can take several weeks up to several months for teeth to become noticeably whiter.

If you continue to regularly consume food and drinks that stain your teeth, such as berries, coffee, black tea and other dark-colored food and drinks, the whitening effects may not be as powerful.

Smoking can also lessen the results that you expect to experience.

Consider rinsing your mouth with water and brushing your teeth after you eat dark-colored food and drinks to prevent further staining.  By doing this, you will better results once you find the best whitening toothpaste for you.

Special Notes About Teeth Whitening Toothpastes

Whitening toothpastes lighten teeth by eliminating surface stains.

Some people use a whitening toothpaste after a dental bleaching treatment so that they can maintain the results that the bleaching process gave them.

Why it works:

A great whitening toothpaste can remove surface stains in the following ways:

• The toothpaste includes certain chemicals that work to dissolve strains or break stains down
• You polish your teeth gently through the use of special abrasives in the toothpaste

In some cases, a really great toothpaste will work using both of the mechanisms to ensure optimal whitening and cleaning.

Side Effects to Watch For

While it is not commonly used, there are a few types of whitening toothpaste that include a chemical known as blue covarine. This chemical does not actually whiten the teeth, but it works as an optical illusion to make teeth look white when they aren’t.

This effect is generally immediate and occurs right after brushing.

Whitening toothpastes are generally safe for most people.  You can use them on a daily basis.

However, if you use other teeth whitening products and methods, it is important to be careful because the abrasives and chemicals can have compounding effects over time.

Before combining other whitening products with a whitening toothpaste, it is a good idea to consult your dentist to ensure that both products can be safely used together.

Before starting a whitening routine, consider the natural color of your teeth because not everyone was born with dazzling white teeth that are bright and sparkling white.

If your teeth are not naturally white, even the best whitening toothpaste is not going to be able to deliver a bright white smile. The same is true if the stains on your teeth go deep below the surface of the teeth.

In these cases, you should consult a dentist to see which options are available. In many cases, whitening toothpaste helps to prolong the results a dentist can provide you.

Understanding Proper Dental Care

In addition to now having dazzling white teeth, while researching I found that you also want to ensure that the teeth whitening methods you choose don’t affect your overall dental health in a bad way.

Here are some notes I found to try and keep that from happening.

Start with your instruments and make sure that your toothbrush is new and in good condition.

The American Dental Association recommends that you get a new toothbrush at least every three to four months.

You may not be able to go this long if the bristles are in poor shape and frayed.

To maintain your toothbrush, store it in open air.  Don’t put a cover over it to prevent microorganism overgrowth.  Make sure that you thoroughly rinse off the brush after each use with water.

Everyone should brush at least two times per day.  This is generally required for optimal results with the best whitening toothpaste.

Brushing not only removes stains and things that can cause them, but it also removes plaque and other debris on and in between the teeth.

If enamel breaks down, this can result in cavities and poor enamel strength also increases the risk of teeth staining.

Tarter is Your Enemy

Brushing regularly to remove plaque is important because if plaque builds up it can eventually become tartar and once tartar forms, keeping the teeth clean becomes a lot more difficult.

To remove tartar, you will need to see your dentist and have it professionally removed with dental scrapers. You can’t count on your whitening toothpaste to cut through tartar.  If you are using this type of toothpaste uneven whitening can occur.

Common Dental Hygiene

Brushing goes a long way in promoting optimal dental health.  But, more can be done to keep your teeth, gums and oral cavity healthy and clean.

These include the following:

• Floss between each and every tooth at least once a day. Ideally, do this at night so that you aren’t sleeping with anything stuck between the teeth.
• See your dentist at least twice a year. This is important to prevent tartar buildup and gum disease. Your dentist performs a checkup and thoroughly cleans your teeth. Clean and healthy teeth whitening is easier.
• Limit snacks in between meals and make sure to maintain a healthy diet. Fatty foods and foods with excessive sugar can stain the teeth and wear down the enamel which results in stains occurring easier and cavities.

Which toothpaste is truly the best whitening toothpaste for you?  That might differ from the reasons we’ve talked about above.

So, consider the ingredients and the usage instructions and make sure that these will fit your lifestyle.

Most are used twice a day and use peroxide as the primary whitening agent.

Remember that good dental care and a toothpaste that prevents cavities and promotes strong enamel is as important as a white smile.

I  hope our research on this Dazzling White Teeth Headquarters web site helps to find the right methods to use to help us all become the best “white toothed monster” we can be.