Beauty By Kate Duggan
Say cheese…
How to get whiter, brighter teeth whatever your budget
Many of us have spent much of the last year slobbing around in PJs. So it’s not too surprising that some of us have let our dental hygiene slip a bit. If your smile is more disturbing than dazzling, don’t panic. There’s plenty you can do to bring the whiteness back. Dentist treatments First off, visit your dentist. A good scale and polish can work wonders at removing stains. If you need a bit more help, talk to them about teeth whitening options. A popular choice is whitening gel, which you wear in a custom-made mould for one to eight hours. The main side effect is sensitivity, so you might be advised to also use a desensitising gel. Price wise, it depends whether you want top and bottom teeth whitened, how bad the staining is and whether you need the desensitising gel. You’re likely going to be looking at £200 upwards. Laser whitening Want lightning-fast results? Laser whitening might be the answer. A bleaching agent is applied to your teeth and activated using a special laser. It is considerably more expensive than a whitening gel, but it takes under an hour and can whiten teeth by several shades. At-home teeth whitening Looking for a cheaper option? Teeth whitening gels are available to buy from Boots and other pharmacies. These aren’t as strong as gels provided by professionals, so you won’t achieve as noticeable a result but you may still see some benefits.
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Another option is charcoal strips, which use activated charcoal to remove stains. You stick them onto your teeth and leave them in place for around half an hour. And then repeat every day for two weeks. Only buy whitening treatments from a reputable brand and make sure you follow the instructions, or you could end up damaging your teeth or gums. And do stop using the product immediately if you get any blisters or sore patches. Realistically, you’ll probably get better results from a simple scale and polish at the dentist, for not much more money. Long-term That bright new smile won’t last forever. In most cases, your teeth will start to dull again after a few months. Smoking, red wine, tea and coffee are particularly adept at discolouring teeth. Whitening toothpastes You can help to keep your teeth bright by swapping to a whitening toothpaste. These contain active whitening agents, which are safe for daily use. Oral B 3D White Luxe Blast (£5) is a good choice. It helps to remove old stains and creates a barrier to protect against new ones. Prefer a more natural option? Try Colgate Smile for Good Whitening Toothpaste (£4.99), which is 99.7% natural. As well as helping to keep teeth white, it’s vegan-friendly and the tube can be recycled (unlike most toothpaste tubes). So you can do your bit for the planet as well as your teeth!
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