The tooth and nothing but the tooth

A funny thing happened in Los Angeles after I met Jeff Timmons, one of the members of the well-known boy band 98 Degrees. We posed for a souvenir photo and, of course, flashed our best smiles. When I viewed the digital image later, I was amazed to see how bright and white Jeff’s teeth were. They were not just sparkling, they were dazzling white!

I looked at my smile and my heart sank. My teeth were yellow! What an appalling sight, I thought. Right there and then, I realized that you cannot really tell if your teeth are discolored even if you look at them in the mirror every day. To properly tell, you must compare your teeth’s color with somebody else’s.

Did Jeff take care of his teeth better than I did mine? Does he go to a fab dentist with the latest tricks that I haven’t heard about? Is he just young and still doesn’t have the unsightly dental patina of age? Many questions raced through my head, and by then, I was determined (actually, obsessed) to have my teeth whitened soonest.

Plaque Of Depreciation

Aside from genetic or inherited teeth color, most dental discoloration is caused by plaque, the yellowish deposit on the teeth, especially near the gums and areas ordinary brushing can’t reach. Unless properly scrubbed or scraped off, plaque can cause an unglamorous, dull appearance. Decaying food particles lodged between teeth can cause bad breath and areas where plaque is thick become bacteria kingdoms that can develop into sites of full-blown tooth decay.

One of the best ways to prevent plaque is by conscientious flossing. Rinsing with anti-plaque mouthwash can help, too. I find that cleaning each tooth with a cotton bud and then brushing twice (the second is for "fine-tuning," using a smaller amount of toothpaste) are amazingly effective.

The Culprits

I started to read more on dental hygiene and found out that discoloration (yellowing, browning or blackening) could also be a sign of internal tooth decay. An article I read mentioned that one of the best ways to regain a more youthful appearance is by having whiter, sexier teeth. Obviously, young people’s teeth are whiter compared to older adults.

My biggest eureka moment was finding out that coffee, tea, colored juices and beverages, and anything with food coloring (like those colorful and yummy pastry icings!) can, over a period of time, stain teeth. The other major culprits are red wine, dark colas, and cigarette smoking. Nicotine leaves a hard-to-remove stain called tar; even the fingers and nails of smokers turn yellowish.

I remember all the coffee, tea, and dark colas I have consumed all my life. It’s a wonder my teeth haven’t turned totally black. I also recall that artists and craftsmen give ivory that much-valued brownish patina of antiquity by leaving them submerged in tea. And what are teeth but human ivories?

Cosmetic Teeth Whitening

While my friend in LA recommended laser whitening, I decided to forego it because dental treatments and procedures are expensive there compared to here. I settled for Crest Whitestrips (about $30), a dental whitening formula that is clinically proven to remove up to 14 years of stain buildup in 14 days, which comes with a money-back guarantee.

What you do is apply the whitening gel side of the strips onto the upper and lower teeth. Wear them for 30 minutes daily, and after two weeks, Crest assures you a visibly whiter smile. Applying the strips was a bit inconvenient and uncomfortable at first but I wanted a more gorgeous smile so I had to suffer for beauty’s sake.

I finally regained the confidence to smile widely again, but after a few months of parties and fiestas back in Manila, my teeth started to look dull once again. I had to look for another whitener (Crest Whitestrips are not available here) and found that Colgate’s Simply White clear whitening gel works just fine. This is so much more reasonable price-wise and is not as inconvenient as the strips. You just paint it onto your teeth; you just have to get used to its taste. You can also get professional dental whitening – ask your dentist about it.

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