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How can I whiten my teeth more?

I’m a 16-year-old who wants to know how I can get my teeth to have a brighter, whiter look. My dental hygiene is excellent, as I have never had a single cavity in my life. I also brush twice a day and have recently started flossing every night. I also plan to use mouthwash soon.

For someone who doesn’t have a lot of staining, which it sounds like you don’t, you should be able to successfully use milder (and cheaper) products than what you get at the dentist or some of the over the counter bleaching systems.

Baking soda is kind of a myth as far as bleaching goes; yes, it’s abrasive and can gradually help remove surface stains, but it takes months, even years, to see baking soda have any kind of whitening effect. Because it works so slowly, your teeth will stain naturally faster than the baking soda will whiten. This goes for other combinations, like strawberries, water, baking soda, etc. You can try them, but they’ve been proven to be pretty ineffective.

The cheapest and easiest way to do it would be to switch your regular toothpaste to a whitening kind, and since you mentioned you might start using mouthwash, try using the Listerine Whitening Pre-Brush Rinse. Combining the whitening rinse and the toothpaste will significantly Whiten Teeth that aren’t stained by tobacco, coffee, or tea. It will be a gradual change though; expect to use them for about 4 weeks before you see results. Right now, there are tons of whitening toothpastes on the market, but most of them just plain don’t work, so I’d only recommend a few of them: Mentadent Specialty Whitening Toothpaste and Polishing Kit, Crest 3D Vivid White, and Dr. Collins Professional Whitening Toothpaste.

You can also add a “Whitening Booster” to your existing toothpaste if you don’t want to go out and buy new toothpaste yet; the best one is Arm & Hammer Whitening Plus Booster with Enamel Strengthening. There is also a general whitening booster made by a company called “Plus White”.

For something a little stronger, I’d recommend low cost gentle Whitening Systems like the Listerine Whitening Pen, Aquafresh White Trays, or Crest White Strips (with the Crest White strips, make sure you use the “Enamel Safe” versions as stated on the box). The Listerine Pen is the cheapest (around $10); the Crest White Strips are more expensive – around $30 or $40 for one box (and you may need several boxes to get your teeth really white). The other problem with White Strips, White Trays, and even the pen (although the pen is really mild) is that they all contain bleaching agents, which can weaken the enamel and cause problems down the road, like cavities, cracks, chips, gum disease, etc. so it’s never a good idea to use them too long or too frequently.

There are also some professional grade, at-home bleaching kits that work well, and work quickly. They can whiten usually up to 6 shades in several days, so they are STRONG. I wouldn’t recommend them because they have an even higher bleach content so that can do even more damage to the enamel of the tooth; but if you want something strong, there are two I recommend that are the least damaging and most effective: Luster Weekend Whitening and Dr. Collins Professional Whitening System. These cost around $30.

The type of whitening done in the dental chair can run anywhere from $30 to $200, depending on the type of treatment. These treatments are usually VERY effective, work VERY quickly (within one or two sessions) but are also the most damaging as they can really thin the enamel out a lot, and some dentists prefer not to do whitening treatments as they feel it’s just too damaging. I don’t typically recommend in-office whitening unless you’re really having a rough time with severely stained teeth.

If your teeth aren’t really severely stained or discolored, my recommendation would be to stick with the toothpaste, rinse, and/or listerine pen to minimize damage and keep costs low. You can always use something else later if those don’t work as well as you’d hoped.

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