Keeping Your Teeth Winter White This Holiday Season in Oklahoma City
The winter can be a lovely time of holiday parties, visiting family and friends, and sipping on tasty warm beverages. Unfortunately, plenty of these warm beverages stain our teeth. The not so warm beverages being served at the holiday party, think red wine and whiskey cokes, are also staining beverages. So how do you combat this? We don’t expect you to pass up the gingerbread spiced latte or glass of cabernet. Instead, Saxon Dentistry has come up with tips on how to enjoy your warm beverages and cocktails throughout the winter while keeping your pearly whites protected.
Professional Teeth Whitening
First of all, the holidays are a great time to whiten your teeth! A lot of us want to wear white and we don’t want our white clothing to dull our teeth. Instead, we want our teeth to sparkle. For the best professional teeth whitening in OKC, contact cosmetic dentist, Dr. Saxon. Once you whiten your teeth there may be a short period of time where you will be asked to avoid dark beverages altogether so that you can maximize your whitening. After this period, you’ll want to follow the tips below as this will help prolong the whitening results and keep your smile bright.
Drink Through a Straw
Coffee, lattes, soda, and black tea can all be sipped through a straw to reduce the amount of contact the beverage has with your teeth. When sipping, try not to swish the liquid around the mouth and teeth. We know this may not be the most ideal as you may feel silly but it can do wonders. As silly as it may feel at first, we think it’s better than stained and yellowing teeth.
Sip Water
Anything you drink or eat that could be teeth staining should have water sipped between. Red wine and even chocolate can stain your teeth. While you enjoy a glass of red wine, take a sip of water between to help rinse away the wine on your teeth.
Brush & Floss
The longer a stain sits on your teeth the more damage the stain can do to your teeth. Brushing about thirty minutes after you eat or drink can help wash away the stains sitting on your teeth. We suggest waiting for thirty minutes due to enamel damage from the acidic drinks softening your teeth. Also, don’t forget to floss! Plaque attracts stains. Often people who don’t floss will notice staining around the surfaces of their teeth.
Chew Sugar-Free Gum
Once you are done having your morning coffee or done with the wine at dinner, chew sugar-free gum. Sugar-free gum helps with the production of saliva which helps wash away stains and fight plaque.
Teeth Whitening Products
Use whitening toothpaste and mouthwashes with the American Dental Association seal of approval. Using safe whitening products help combat minor staining and help prolong your professional teeth whitening results. Contact our team for any questions you may have and to keep your pearly whites shining this winter!
