How do you keep your teeth looking white?

[RedQueen]

Hi guys, I'm just curious how you guys keep your teeth looking white with or without the whitening products.
It would be very helpful if you listed all the products you use.

I know that we aren't suppose to use any whitening stuff because they're going to stain the brackets but I don't want to be walking around with yellow teeth.

Thanks all.

[angeldazed]

I'm not fully braced yet but so far I am using Crest Whitening.

It's not all that....I just have 2 tubes of it and it's what I am left with. Hope others chime in.

I know there are Waterpik users out there. I don't have one yet but I am planning on it. HTH

[lau]

bumping this one up. i am curious to know too

[RedQueen]

Thanks guys!!

Can't wait to hear more opinions from other.

[frankiecgsw]

crest 3d. pretty good so far

[henrythe17th]

I wasn't warned not to use whitening products. I have ceramic up and metal down. I should have had my teeth whitened before braces were applied, but since I didn't, I've been using Crest 3D toothpaste. Hope I'm not harming anything. I prefer to play dumb until my ortho tells me otherwise.

[leadcat63]

I didn't get any specific warning about whitening pastes, but have read a few things here. I decided to stick to Crest 3D and I also use AquaFresh Complete. Sometimes I look at my teeth and think dingy, but I'll have to ask the ortho.

[mrsbraceface]

I stay away from colored drinks, usually just drink water. I also make sure I brush right after eating and that seems to help. My ortho and dentist have complimented me on how white my teeth are.

I'm very paranoid of havig stains when my braces come off!

[LucyLou]

I had white teeth anyway before braces but since getting them on I'm sure my teeth are looking whiter!
I think this must be because I drink everything through a straw now and I'm not eating foods that could stain.
Before braces I brushed twice daily with a whitening toothpaste. Now I brush with whitening toothpaste once a day and use a fluoride toothpaste every other time I brush.

[bannishg]

Crest "night effects" whitening gel is what I use. Since you can "paint" the stuff on with a mini-brush, you can get all of the nooks and crannies that the strips do not mold into (like the inner edges of your canines and on the cusp surfaces). Plus you can paint around your gums, and avoid, or at least minimize irritation from the bleach.

[FFWM]

Prevention is the best cure. If you have good oral hygiene eg brush 2-4 times a day, floss and use a water pik at night before bed and dont drink pop-which is extremely bad for oral health in general amoung other things, dont drink coffee and don't smoke your teeth will stay pretty white.

[LanaTeeth]

This is a bit of a cheat I have, especially during cleanings. There's something called MI Paste - you take a pea-sized amount and smear it on your teeth and refrain from spitting it out for awhile. Nice white teeth for days

Other than that, I've had my teeth bleached with trays (no laser) - that was very effective and the effect lasted for years.

[saramwms]

Is it recommended to whiten your teeth prior to being braced?

[kmadsen65]

My teeth were pretty white before I got braced for several reasons.
1) I use whitening strips once a month
2) I don't eat or drink anything that stains
3) I oil pull - it's great for oral hygiene and pulls toxins out of your mouth. If your interested in knowing more - google oil pulling.

I whitened my teeth right before I went in to get my braces on. But I am paranoid about my teeth yellowing too. I'm hoping that if I continue to do what I've been doing they will be okay. I read that you shouldn't use whitening products while your braces are on, but my dentist didn't say anything about it. He just said to continue to take really good care of my teeth like I was doing before I got braced.

Does anyone know if Sensodyne has flouride in it? I'm only on day 2 of being braced and my teeth are already very sensitive.

[CCinBraces]

Swishing peroxide around in your mouth is supposed to help---no idea if it really does or not though. Same thing was baking soda. (not at the same time!!) I plan to Whitestrip STAT when the braces come off.