How to get white teeth at home and professionally | Philips (2024)

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How to make your teeth white at home

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could learn how to get your teeth white without having to shell out for expensive treatments? Well, you can. In fact, there are a few ways in which you can make teeth whiter with simple home remedies.

Read on as we share the most popular tips for white teeth using home solutions. We’ll also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using home fixes to make teeth whiter:

1. Brushing your teeth regularly will help to make your teeth whiter.
   
   This may seem logical to most of us, yet many disregard this obvious fact. Ensure that you follow the basic steps for appropriate toothbrushing for good oral hygiene and to get white teeth:

   • Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
   • Brush your teeth thoroughly, using the correct technique.
   • Use dental floss.
   • Change your toothbrush regularly.

   While brushing your teeth is the basic prerequisite for beautiful, white teeth, it does have one major disadvantage: tooth brushing doesn’t help to remove existing stains – especially if you don’t know how to brush properly!

   Tip: The steps to get teeth whitened begin with correct cleaning. Try the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean electric toothbrush for complete oral care, from a deeper clean to healthier gums. The special brush head removes stains and helps to visibly whiten your teeth, plus the app guides you through how to achieve a thorough clean.

2. Whitening toothpaste can help make teeth whiter.

   • This special toothpaste contains abrasive particles, which help to remove superficial stains.
   • These kinds of toothpaste are economical and easy to use – you simply need to swap them out for your regular toothpaste.
   • That being said, compared to other methods we’ll explore for how to make your teeth white; the whitening effect is low.
   • In addition, dentists warn that the abrasive particles can damage your teeth, thinning enamel and potentially causing further – and worse – discoloration.¹

3. Whitening trays and strips are a more aggressive solution for how to get super white teeth at home.

   Utilising between 10% and 35% hydrogen peroxide in the gel, these products are a fast and effective solution for how to get super white teeth.

   • These products are readily available over the counter.
   • Unfortunately, they do come with one key disadvantage: they are prone to misuse and overuse.
   • To get white teeth using trays and strips, you need to follow the instructions and information provided with the product exactly, in order to avoid tooth decay and sensitivity as well as gum irritation.²

4. Prevent stains to make teeth whiter. There are a number of ways to whiten teeth simply by making a few lifestyle changes. Want to know what changes you should be making? Here are our tips for white teeth:

   • Reduce or quit smoking. Nicotine and tar will cause yellowing in a very short time.³ Over time and with heavier smoking, the yellow staining can darken and even begin to look brown. As well as being better for your health,⁴ quitting smoking will help to make your teeth whiter.
   • Reduce coffee and black tea. Coffee, black tea, and even some wines contain tannins – sometimes referred to as tannic acid. Tannic acid has been shown to leave behind yellow stains on teeth.⁵
   • Avoid sugary drinks. One of the easiest ways to whiten teeth is to avoid carbonated and sugary drinks – yes, even too much fruit juice can damage your teeth with natural sugars. Sugar and bacteria in your mouth attack the enamel, making the teeth more susceptible to stains as well as cavities and tooth decay.⁶

How to get white teeth with professional treatment

While at-home solutions are a quick and easy way to make teeth whiter on a budget, they will only work on small amounts of staining. If you’ve tried to get white teeth at home and have some stubborn staining, it’s time to seek professional help.

Tip: Don’t forget, regular dental visits are an essential part of your usual dental hygiene, as they need to check your teeth regularly to make sure they are healthy.

If your teeth are heavily stained, an additional trip to the dentist could be the only solution to make your teeth whiter. Here’s how your dentist can help make teeth whiter:

1. Professional dental cleaning.
   
   During a professional dental cleaning, your dentist removes plaque and tartar from your teeth and polishes them, helping to make your teeth whiter:

   • This helps to restore the natural whiteness of your teeth.
   • Regular professional cleaning prevents dental problems such as gingivitis and caries.
   • In addition, it is an essential component of general dental hygiene.
   • However, the procedure can be painful, especially for people with sensitive gums or exposed tooth necks.
   • Plaque also develops fast which means your teeth will begin to stain again shortly after the treatment.

2. Zoom bleaching.

   Zoom is a professional bleaching process in which the teeth are treated with a special bleaching gel and intensive light irradiation in order to remove stains⁷ and make teeth whiter:

   • This method takes less than an hour to complete and is not only effective but can last between 2-4 years.
   • However, this is not a solution that is available to everybody.
   • It is only suited for teeth without large-scale synthetic fillings or crowns.
   • Additionally, it is one of the more expensive treatment options and patients have to front the cost themselves at a private facility.

3. Veneers.

   Veneers are thin, ceramic shells that are attached to the front surface of your teeth.⁸ There are two types of veneer: invasive and non-invasive. Both offer another alternative when you’re looking for answers to how to get super white teeth:

   • Most commonly, veneers require the removal of a thin layer of enamel prior to the treatment.
   • Not only does it remove staining, but it can also be used to correct formal defects such as broken or deformed teeth.
   • The final result lasts almost indefinitely which will guarantee white teeth for the rest of your life.
   • Unfortunately, there is one key disadvantage. Veneers are the most expensive option. It can cost between £500 and £1,500 per tooth.

So, if you ever find yourself wondering, ‘How do I get white teeth?’ you now know that a sparkling white smile doesn’t have to remain a pipe dream. With just a few simple lifestyle changes, the proper care for your teeth, and good oral hygiene you now know how to get super white teeth both at home and with a little professional help too.

Sources:
¹ Effect of whitening toothpaste on surface roughness and microhardness of human teeth: a systematic review and meta-analysis, National Library of Medicine
² Over-the-counter whitening agents: a concise review, National Library of Medicine
³ Tobacco, NHS Inform
⁴ Quit smoking, NHS Better Health
⁵ Discoloration of dental pellicle by tannic acid, National Library of Medicine
⁶ Sugars and dental caries, WHO
⁷ Science Behind Zoom, Philips
⁸ Advances in dental veneers/ materials, applications, and techniques, National Library of Medicine