Our diets tend to be high in teeth staining acids, sugars, and substances. From coffee every morning to red wine at night and sugary ice cream for dessert, our teeth are put through the ringer day in and day out. Over time this will lead to tooth discoloration, stains, dark spots, and visible plaque. All of these happen even if you’re not a smoker, if you are a smoker, these stains are amplified by ten over time. If you’re noticing your teeth need a refresher, then you may want to consider a teeth whitening treatment plan with your Coney Island Dentist. 

Teeth Whitening at Home vs. the Dentist

There are all sorts of at-home teeth whitening products you can buy over the counter at any local drug store. There are:

• whitening Strips
• whitening Toothpaste
• whitening Mouthwash
• gels & molds
• whitening emulsions with applicators
• and more

Knowing what sort of at-home product will work the best for your needs can be a bit tricky. When you go to the dentist for cleaning and whitening treatment you get a stronger combination of tools that only dentists offer. 

Whitening at the Dentist Does the Dirty Work

At-home whitening kits are not bad (depending on the product) and are growing in popularity. The problem is that they do not do as good of a job from the start and should be more looked at as a maintenance or “whitening upkeep” addition following a dental visit. The dentist has better tools and expertise to give you whiter teeth. From that point, it is then easier to use the at-home kits to maintain the level of whiteness achieved by your dentist. 

If you have severely stained and yellow teeth you’ll likely be disappointed by at-home whitening kits. First of all, some of them are not cheap and can run over $100-200 but will not be as effective as going to the dentist for a similar cost procedure. Your dentist can also create a teeth whitening treatment plan for you to follow at home and gauge your progress on your bi-yearly visits. This is the best way to achieve a whiter smiler. 

The Most Important Factor is Good Dental Hygiene

No matter how good your dentist is at providing tooth whitening services or how consistent you are with an at-home whitening kit, it all starts with your overall dental hygiene. If you are a bad brusher or forget and never floss, you can throw as much time and effort into whitening as you want and it will not address the underlying issue: poor dental hygiene. 

Keeping a consistent daily oral hygiene routine is the key to health and whiter teeth for life. You can also start to address other factors like your diet and health:

• quit smoking cigarettes
• reduce coffee consumption
• reduce refined sugar consumption
• make healthier dining choices
• drink less alcohol

These changes are not drastic and will improve your overall quality of health not to mention the fact that you’ll have healthier and whiter teeth.

Find the Right Dentist in Southern Brooklyn

If you live in lower Kings County then you may be looking for the best Teeth Whitening Dentist in Coney Island NY. We are proud to live right here where we operate for over 40 years and help 4,000+ patients reach their oral health goals year in and year out. Give us a call today and let’s schedule your teeth whitening visit or dental checkup today.