Smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco are some of the most harmful habits that you can do to your oral and dental health. In fact, even your immune system will be much weaker which makes you so much more prone to infections and diseases.
But aside from these risks, teeth discolouration is one of the top effects of tobacco smoking and chewing. This is why people who smoke or utilize nicotine in any way appear to have teeth discolouration.
Teeth Stains and Discoloration
Nicotine is the main product of tobacco and cigarettes. And this is the main factor why the teeth of a smoker appear to have stains or discolouration. Apparently, nicotine is colourless. But when oxidized or exposed to oxygen, it turns to yellow or brown.
It is worth noting that stains obtained from nicotine are very difficult to remove. And so much more when your teeth have been exposed to years of smoking or chewing tobacco. But thankfully, there are now effective ways to remove these stains permanently. Of course, this will become so much more effective when you finally quit the habit.
If you are having this kind of concern right now and you want to effectively remove the stains, here are some practical and yet effective ways to do it:
1. Swap Your Current Toothpaste With Tooth Whitening Toothpaste
Cleaning your mouth by brushing and flossing is one of the most essential things to do in order for you to take good care of your teeth and mouth. And when it comes to stains, especially the ones obtained from nicotine, using whitening toothpaste can actually help.
If you are using an ordinary toothpaste, you may want to start using other brands that largely focus on whitening. While the effects may not be very dramatic, it can be really helpful in the long run. Another thing that will greatly help you is frequent visits to the dentist for check-ups. We’d recommend giving reputable ones like at http://www.shoresmilesdentalny.com/ a go.
2. Maintain Oral Hygiene
Oral and dental hygiene is very important. And keeping them at their optimum state would not only help you achieve a whiter set of teeth but it would also help you improve your oral and dental health. Keep in mind that practising good oral and dental hygiene can help you resolve teeth stains and discolourations.
Also, in maintaining proper oral and dental hygiene, you must be mindful as well of your food and drink consumption. Regular dental cleaning also plays an important role in oral and dental hygiene. Hence, you must visit your dentist regularly.
3. Clean Between the Teeth
The spaces and areas between the teeth are the ones that are usually difficult to reach by using a toothbrush. While brushing effectively and properly can help you clean these spots, flossing is much more efficient, especially when removing nicotine stains and tartar build-up.
Normally, stains and build-ups start in these areas. This is because the enamel or the protective layer in these areas are much weaker. Hence, nicotine contents would primarily attack these spots.
4. Brush and Floss Daily
Brushing and flossing every day are very helpful practical ways to remove nicotine stains and tartar build-ups. While it may not fully get your teeth back into its original pearly white condition, these practices can produce significant results in the long run when it comes to removing stains.
As much as possible, brush your teeth twice or thrice per day. And every after brushing, flossing will be very beneficial. But of course, you should be aware of the right steps in doing these hygiene practices.
5. Make Use of Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide is a very powerful household product as it offers many uses and benefits. And one of them involves the removal of teeth stains and discolouration.
All you need to do is to dilute an ounce or less of Hydrogen Peroxide with a glass of water. Rinse your mouth with the dilute solution and hold it in for a few seconds. Afterwards, make sure to spit it all out and rinse with clean water.
The practice can naturally help you remove stains, especially the yellow ones on your teeth, effectively and immediately. But make sure that you mind all the steps when doing the process. You wouldn’t want to drink pure hydrogen peroxide as it may harm you.
Teeth Whitening Options Today
The five given ways above are all the practical solutions to remove tobacco stains and discolourations. Although they are effective and found to be very beneficial to the overall oral and dental health, there are times that they cannot fully recover the appearance of your teeth.
It is important to note that the results may vary from one nicotine user to another. It depends on how long and how much nicotine is utilized. Nevertheless, there are other teeth whitening options today that you may want to check as well.
These are the options that are found to be very effective, especially for people who have much worse teeth stains and discolourations.
1. Professional Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening done by professionals is indeed effective and efficient. The length of processes may vary but the end result will be the same – your teeth stains will be totally removed. However, these treatments are very expensive as the tools, skills, and processes may involve high-priced factors. But if you are willing and very much able, then you may directly approach this kind of option.
2. At-Home Treatments
At-home treatments are like teeth whitening treatments done by the professionals. But in this case, you will be the one to perform the process with the use of a teeth whitening kit that is widely available on the market today.
Quite obviously, these treatments will also need for you to shell out money. The price may vary, though, from one kit to another. And if you are not sure of which product or kit to purchase, you may consult your dentists first.
At-home treatments will definitely need your dentist’s approval and guidance. So, before making a purchase, ensure that you’ve consulted first your dentist or a specialist since stains and discolouration due to tobacco chewing or smoking is a case-to-case basis.
Removing Tobacco Stains For Good
All in all, stains and discolouration caused by nicotine products can be manageable. But it will still depend on many factors. And while you can resolve the issue today with the use of these options and ways, the problem will not end if you do not eliminate the root cause – which in this case is the usage of the product, nicotine. Visit Grinds to see tips on how to quit tobacco
Therefore, if you really want to remove tobacco stains for good and permanently, then you must quit first the habit and resolve this issue before you proceed to resolving the after-effects.