Whiter Teeth? Help!

[railroad]

So I've had my braces about a month and while I love having them, I have noticed that my teeth are no where near as white as they used to be. I was a vigilant white-stripper, and now of course that is not an option. I gave up my beloved red wine but I can't/won't give up coffee and soda. So does anyone have any suggestions of what has worked for you? Any particular whitening toothpaste you recommend? Whitening rinse?

[sirwired]

Much of the "drop" in your tooth whiteness comes from all the shadows your brackets and wires cast. Shine a bright light directly in your mouth and it should look dramatically different.

[alixcorrin]

I don't suggest whitening!! When all your brackets and bands come off you'd have pretty white teeth with a discoloring where the whitening could not get underneath the metal! Just brush and floss as required by your orthodontist (like after every meal at least brush or rinse and floss at night time). This should take care of surface stains. If you have to drink coffee and soda try to keep it minimal or just rinse like I said when you are finished! :)

[railroad]

I don't suggest whitening!! When all your brackets and bands come off you'd have pretty white teeth with a discoloring where the whitening could not get underneath the metal! Just brush and floss as required by your orthodontist (like after every meal at least brush or rinse and floss at night time). This should take care of surface stains. If you have to drink coffee and soda try to keep it minimal or just rinse like I said when you are finished!

I have heard this before, about how you shouldn't whiten because the covered part will be darker but my teeth were very white before the braces went on so I actually think the covered part is now whiter than the uncovered part and will probably stay that way until the braces come off, no?

[klobird]

I use a straw for every thing I drink but milk and 1 cup coffee in the morning. I think more orthodontists recommended that you stay away from whiteners while your in braces. I find the blue power chains (or ligs around the brackets if yours are not self-ligating) seem to make my teeth appear whiter...

[anngie27]

My toothpaste has whitening on the label and when i went to the store, it seemed like every toothpaste there had whitening on the label too.
can anyone mention the brands that they use that don't have whitening?
thanks

[railroad]

Well for example I use Arm and Hammer Dental Care which isn't a whitening paste per se. I love the taste and texture but I think it's not doing the job.

[margarets]

If you've only had your braces a month, the darkening is probably more psychological than anything. Unless you swish coffee, red wine, etc over your teeth like mouthwash every day, a month is an awfully short time for your teeth to visibly darken. Personally, I'd wait till your braces come off (I know - patience!) and then whiten. You definitely want even whitening so don't risk it while you have your braces.

[Snowglobe32]

What kind of brackets do you have? Ceramic, metal?

I have both and as a previous poster said, the wires and brackets do create a shadow effect on your teeth.

At your next adjustment, when the wires are out, take a good look at your teeth and see if you see a difference.

Also, look at your teeth right when you wake up, throughout the day and then when you go to sleep, the color looks different at various times throughout the day.

[railroad]

My brackets are metal and I have looked closely in my teeth in all kind of light so I don't think it is a shadow. I'm going to start using whitening paste. Even if when the braces come off the underneath parts are darker, I will just use the whitestrips religiously until the color evens out, that shouldn't take more than a few days as opposed to 18 months of my teeth looking really dingy.

[Bec There]

i don't recommend using whitening toothpaste, but once or twice a week when you're brushing your teeth, dip your toothbrush in bi carb soda. it wont whiten as such, but it will remove stains on the teeth.

[sirwired]

Railroad, don't expect much from the whitening paste. Whitening pastes work by using a gentle abrasive to scrub stains off of your teeth. However, to prevent enamel damage due to long-term use, the abrasives are really gentle. If the stain is below the surface at all, the whitening toothpaste won't touch it, while the bleaching action provided by the strips you now cannot use do.

In addition, if your braces are giving you sensitivity problems, whitening toothpaste will make them worse.