Keeping teeth white

[Marigold]

My teeth are getting very dingy since getting braces. I'm not having much luck with the rinses. I tried Crest 3D rinse and didn't notice a difference. Now I'm trying Listerine Whitening. It's very harsh but seems to work a little better. I have some strips left over from before I got braces. I'm wondering if I could somehow mush them around the brackets. They work so much better than the rinses. Has anyone tried this?

[jg15]

i would definitely not whiten my teeth with strips, as you'll have off-colored dots where the brackets were once the braces come off. I use listerine whitening (disgusting aftertaste, I know), though I probably shouldn't even be doing that either for the above-mentioned reason.

[benj]

You have to be careful when bleaching with brackets because the bleach can react with the metal and the bonding agents in your mouth. If the chemicals are strong enough to dissolve stains from enamel, then its possible they could also weaken the glue on the brackets. I have bleached a couple of times towards the end of treatment because i was sick of the dingy look, but I think its better to try natural methods first. Ive had good results from:

castile (pure olive oil soap) - cleans well and i really don't mind the flavor at all
borax - cleans well and whitens a bit, leaves the gums feeling really healthy
baking soda with a pinch of salt - cleans well but is abrasive
Oil pulling - take a sip of olive oil and swish/pull through the teeth for ten minutes, then rinse and brush. Is great for removing the deeper etchings and stains from the teeth and also great for healing sore cheeks and gums. It may weaken the rubber in powerchains so its best to ask your orthodontist first.

[Crazy4Snow]

The same thing happened to me so I started using my old toothpaste again instead of the non-whitening kind. I use the Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid Toothpaste, it keeps up with my original color prior to getting the braces on and my ortho said that it won't whiten them anymore than they already were, so it's fine. I would NOT do the strips though.

[catgyrl]

NO STRIPS! Those chemicals are too strong.

I've been using Colgate with Baking Soda and Peroxide, and that does a pretty good job at getting rid of recent staining. I know it doesn't alter the area around the brackets because after a few months, I switched out my upper brackets and the teeth underneath were exactly the same. Sometimes I sprinkle on a little extra baking soda and take a little extra time with the proxabrush, and that helps, too.

[Marigold]

Okay, no strips then. I didn't realize they would react with the bonding agents. Thanks for all the ideas!

[rhomboid]

I used an over the counter whitening gel for months prior to having my braces removed and contrary to what I had read that there would be dark spots where the brackets had been there were none. That was just my experience no guarantees.

[Green~Tara]

... Oil pulling - take a sip of olive oil and swish/pull through the teeth for ten minutes, then rinse and brush. Is great for removing the deeper etchings and stains from the teeth and also great for healing sore cheeks and gums. It may weaken the rubber in powerchains so its best to ask your orthodontist first.

Thank you so much for posting that - I'm having awful mouth dryness and that sounds very healing.

[Olive]

I've only had my braces for 3 months and have noticed significant staining- it's kind of bumming me out. It is orange-ish and for the most part between the brackets and the gum line. I brush frequently, floss, waterpik, etc. My theory is that there is no friction on those areas of the teeth from eating since I was braced (eating crunchy raw fruits and vegetables will naturally remove surface stains). Plus it's hard to brush the teeth near the brackets.

Benj, how long did it take for oil pulling to make a difference? I've done it a few times and I haven't noticed any change.

I'm upset because it will probably keep getting worse, and I'm also worried that they won't whiten properly when I get my braces off in 2 years.

[benj]

You are right, OP is not a quick fix like bleaching and it can make things look worse at first as the really deep stains start to loosen up. It can take a few weeks to see really positive results, but I know that my orthodontist noticed huge positive changes in the health of my teeth and gums after I tried it for a few months. Good luck