White Teeth | Webster Family Dental

February 4, 2022November 3, 2021 by Webster Family Dental

Is trying to get your kids to brush their teeth an ongoing battle? If so, you aren’t alone.

As a parent, you want them to have healthy teeth and healthy brushing habits. But it’s easier said than done!

We understand how difficult it can be to keep kids on a regular schedule of healthy oral hygiene. If something isn’t fun or engaging, kids will consider it a chore.

That’s why we suggest incorporating some fun and play into their daily teeth brushing routine. Here are a few fun ways to get your kids to brush.

Brush Along With Them

Your kids are always watching you whether you realize it or not. They learn so much about the world from observing you in their first few years.

When it’s time to brush their teeth at night, brush yours along with them. Don’t make it seem like a chore. Smile to lighten the mood.

If you make brushing and caring for your teeth a positive experience, they will quickly learn the importance of caring for their own. Presenting a positive attitude about oral hygiene can make trips to the dentist easier too.

Let Your Child Choose Their Toothbrush

Kids love to feel like they’re in control of some of their decisions. Give them the responsibility of choosing their own toothbrush.

Toothbrushes are inexpensive, so it can be fun to get a new one when the novelty of the old one wears off. Let them choose their favorite color or character toothbrush.

They can also pick their favorite flavor of toothpaste. You can change this once in a while too. Adult minty toothpaste is too strong for some kids.

Whitening toothpaste isn’t for little mouths. Kid’s toothpaste comes in a variety of flavors. A new toothbrush and flavor of toothpaste can help get your kids excited about brushing their teeth.

Brush Each Other’s Teeth

If you’re looking for a way to get your kids to brush, try brushing each other’s teeth once in a while. This approach isn’t ideal for the long term. But it can be a fun distraction and a way to ensure their teeth are thoroughly brushed from time to time.

Let your child brush your teeth and “teach” you about how to do it properly. Then, you do the same for them. You can even try making a game of it and brushing each other’s teeth simultaneously.

Offer Rewards for Motivation

Kids work harder when they have a goal in mind. Brushing their teeth twice a day is a goal you can encourage.

Let them know if you see them doing a good job brushing for a whole week, there will be a reward. This can be a small prize, a new book, or an extra hour of video games.

Think about what will motivate your kids. Developing healthy habits they will carry through their lives is definitely worth a reward.

Sing a Toothbrush Song

Establishing a routine is an important part of daily oral hygiene. One way to establish a routine is to play the same song every time they brush.

This passes the time and teaches them the proper amount of time to brush. You can choose a song or find one The American Dental Association recommends.

They will get used to listening and brushing at the same time. You can even put them in charge of starting the music when it’s time to brush.

A little singing and dancing in the bathroom can be a fun part of your child’s brushing habits.

Keep Your Cool

As a parent, you know that nothing is perfect. Don’t expect every brushing session to go as planned. Tired and irritable children aren’t always in the mood to brush, no matter how fun you make it.

Remember to stay calm. Try not to make brushing a stressful situation by venting your frustrations or getting angry with your child.

If they associate brushing with stress or “mad mommy,” they will try to avoid it even more. Your child doesn’t have to do a fantastic job brushing every night.

Some days it may seem impossible to know how to make kids love brushing their teeth. Consistency is the key.

If you have a bad episode, it’s okay. Try again tomorrow.

Incorporate Brushing Into Playtime

Young children learn through play. You can teach them about the importance of brushing by incorporating it into playtime.

Kids love to brush their stuffed animals, baby dolls, and bath toys’ teeth. They can pretend to floss them too.

Pretend to be a dentist and go through the motions of a visit to get their teeth cleaned. Read fun books about teeth and good oral hygiene.

The more they see the importance of oral hygiene modeled into everyday life, the more routine it will seem.

Make Going to the Dentist a Good Experience

You don’t want to wait until your child has their first cavity to take them to the dentist. Start early and make it a positive experience for them.

The dentist does not have to be scary. if your children take good care of their teeth, dentist visits are a breeze.

You want them to have a relationship with their dentist and feel comfortable and safe in their office. Your dentist and the dental staff can reinforce what you’re teaching your child at home.

When your child feels happy and confident heading to the dentist, it’s a more pleasant experience for everyone involved.

Make Your Child’s Teeth Brushing Routine Fun

Establishing healthy oral hygiene habits early in life is so important. You can help your child accomplish this by starting early and making their teeth brushing routine fun.

Our team at Webster Family Dental is here to support your child and the entire family with all their dental needs. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

April 30, 2021February 5, 2021 by Webster Family Dental

What if every meal was putting your teeth in danger?

There are plenty of common foods that stain teeth. Unfortunately, most people don’t know what these foods are until it’s too late!

That’s why we put together this simple guide. Keep reading to learn about seven common foods that are likely to stain your teeth!

1. Coffee

Most of us begin our morning with a warm cup of coffee. And coffee can provide a powerful “pick me up” throughout the day if your energy is lagging.

Unfortunately, coffee is one of the primary foods that you can count on to stain teeth. And the blacker the coffee, the more your teeth are at risk.

The good news is that you can counteract this by lightening your coffee up. Throw some milk in your morning coffee to enjoy a bit of extra calcium and Vitamin D along with whiter teeth.

2. Cola

It’s possible to lighten your black coffee up and avoid those annoying stains. But one drink you can’t really lighten up is cola.

The dark color of cola is enough to stain your teeth. And the temperature (cola is usually served ice cold) can make your teeth contract, making staining that much more likely.

If that’s not bad enough, things like citrus and phosphoric acids in your cola encourage tooth decay. When it comes to tooth color and health, you are better off switching most of your colas for seltzers or other alternative drinks.

3. Tea

Speaking of alternative drinks, many drink tea as a seemingly healthier alternative to coffee or cola. Sadly, tea is also very likely to stain your teeth!

This is mostly due to the tannins in the tea. And as with the other drinks, the darker teas are the ones likeliest to stain teeth.

That means it is best to skip out on teas like Earl Gray (sorry, Captain Picard). Instead, try out some white, green, and herbal teas to enjoy the flavor and calming benefits of tea while minimizing the risk of staining teeth.

4. Popsicles

You are likelier to consume certain kinds of food in different seasons. For example, on a warm summer’s day, it can be very tempting to cool down with a tasty popsicle.

However, anyone who has ever eaten a popsicle (or a slushie, for that matter) knows that these colorful treats are likely to turn their tongue a different color. And anything that can stain your tongue can easily stain your teeth!

You can always swap those popsicles for safer treats such as lemon ice or even some sugarless gum. But if you absolutely have to have a popsicle, make sure that’s a “sometimes food” unless you want bright and colorful teeth.

5. Tomato Sauce

There is nothing quite like Italian food. And most Italian dishes don’t come to life until you add some kind of tomato sauce (we’re partial to some homemade marinara).

However, if you eat enough Italian dishes, you eventually discover how easily tomato sauce can stain your clothes. So it shouldn’t be a huge surprise to discover that these delicious tomato-based sauces can also stain your teeth.

We would never tell you to skip the marinara or Bolognese when you’re tucking into your favorite Italian dishes. But if you can eat some kind of spinach, salad, or broccoli appetizer ahead of time, you can protect your teeth from these annoying stains.

6. Candy

If you’re looking to avoid staining teeth, we’ve got some bad news: pretty much all candy and sweets is your enemy.

That’s mostly because of the different colors of candy. Much like popsicles, any candy that stains your tongue is pretty much guaranteed to stain your teeth.

Fortunately, candy doesn’t pose a major tooth-staining risk unless you are eating it all the time (which you shouldn’t be doing). If you ease up on the candy and maybe brush up after you eat those sweets, then your teeth should be fine.

7. Curry

If you enjoy Indian food, then you are likely to enjoy curry. And if you enjoy spicy food, then curry may be one of your favorite foods on the planet.

Unfortunately, that bright yellow curry will definitely stain your teeth. After you finish your dish, your teeth are likely to look just as yellow as the curry itself!

There is no real way to avoid this, so you should focus on what you can do after eating. Brushing your teeth would be the ideal move, but even gargling a bit of water in the bathroom of the restaurant can help you avoid stains.

8. Soy Sauce

Do you enjoy Chinese and Japanese cuisine? If so, you know what it’s like to reach for the soy sauce.

In small doses, soy sauce can help to bring out the flavor of the dish. But that dark soy sauce can easily stain your teeth if you go overboard with it.

As with most of the foods on this list, “moderation” is the name of the game. Instead of dousing your food with soy sauce, just use it in small amounts.

Honestly, this is a good move for your overall health as well as the appearance of your teeth. Soy sauce is chock full of sodium, and it’s easy to consume more sodium than is healthy for your body if you use too much of the soy sauce.

Avoiding Foods That Stain Teeth: Your Next Move

Now you know about the different foods that stain teeth very easily. But do you know who can help keep your teeth looking and feeling amazing?

At Webster Family Dental, we are basically your “one stop shop” for dental needs. From simple cleanings to root canals to tooth whitening, we’ve got your different needs covered.

Want to discover what we can do for your teeth? All you have to do is contact us today!

January 29, 2021October 15, 2020 by Webster Family Dental

The global teeth whitening market is expected to reach 9.6 billion by the year 2027.

Millions of people around the world are looking to reduce stains on teeth, and improve the appearance of their smile. But with so many products and devices on the market, it can be difficult to tell what is effective.

For any whitening or stain-removing method, the best bet is to first consult your dentist. They can weigh in on the most effective means of teeth-whitening, and advise you of products that might actually do more harm than good.

But in addition to these products, there are simple methods you can implement into your daily routine that will help remove tough stains.

Keep reading for six easy steps to help reduce the appearance of stains on teeth.

#1. Improve Brushing Habits

One of the most simple yet effective measures you can’t take to remove stains on teeth is to improve your everyday brushing habits.

Important factors to consider when looking to remove stains on teeth include:

Using a toothbrush with soft yet sturdy bristles, replaced every three months
Brushing for two full minutes every time
Avoiding brushing too “hard” or in an improper pattern
Using a whitening toothpaste approved by the American Dental Association
Cleaning your entire mouth (tongue, cheeks, etc.)
Waiting at least one hour after a meal to brush
Flossing after brushing
Finishing with mouthwash

This should be a multi-step process, repeated at least twice a day.

#2. Cut Down on Staining Foods

There are various food and drinks we enjoy in our everyday life that can actually cause unsightly stains on teeth.

Sauces that are deeply-colored (soy, tomato, curry) can cause brown stains on teeth. Try incorporating more light-colored sauces to avoid these stains.

The same idea comes from fruits and berries that are dark in color—like blackberries, cherries, and pomegranates. As such, paler fruits are less likely to cause stains on teeth.

Beverages can be harmful to teeth, as well. One example is coffee and tea. Frequent drinkers may experience black stains on teeth. While it may be hard to cut the caffeine cravings, your teeth will thank you.

Another beverage that can stain teeth is wine. With its acidic nature and dark, rich color, it can also discolor teeth.

Surprisingly, even white wine can stain as well. Though it does not have the dark pigment to it that red wine does, it can still add off white stains on teeth.

This does not mean you have to remove the food and drinks you love completely from your diet.

Instead, try moderating consumption to avoid building up stains on teeth. When you do consume beverages likely to stain, try using a straw and swallowing quickly to keep the liquid away from teeth.

#3. Avoid Nicotine and Tobacco Products

While there are other health benefits to avoiding these products, preventing smoking stains on teeth is a major factor.

Particles in these products stick to tiny pores in the enamel of your teeth. With repeated use, these particles build up until they become stains on teeth.

So the more you use nicotine and tobacco products, the darker and harder to remove the stains become. Consider avoiding nicotine and other tobacco products to prevent building up yellow stains on teeth.

#4. Try At-Home Whitening

There are simple at-home whitening remedies you can try to improve the appearance of stains on teeth.

There are a variety of whitening products on the market, at all price points. Though, spending large amounts of money is not necessary to improve stains on teeth.

One of the most common and inexpensive methods is to brush a few times per week with a mixture of water and baking soda.

This method is simple, yet effective. But, beware of overusing baking soda—studies suggest it can cause damage to the enamel of teeth.

If you are looking for products to purchase, consider starting small. Whitening toothpaste and mouthwashes can go a long way in improving the look of teeth stains.

In particular, those containing hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite can be particularly effective.

From there, you may consider whitening strips or other at-home systems. Look out for those containing carbamide peroxide, which is proven to be effective in these gel forms.

#5. Stay on Top of Dental Work

It’s important to stay on top of dental work to prevent the look of faux dental pieces from declining.

Dental fillings, crowns, and bridges will start to lose their color as they wear down over the years. Plus, metal fillings can sometimes transfer their color onto the tooth itself with time.

It’s critical that you stay on top of dental maintenance to prevent this from happening. While replacing these items can be uncomfortable, it can go a long way in preventing stains on teeth.

#6. Talk to Your Dentist

Finally, one of the best things you can do to combat stains on teeth is to visit your dentist. They have access to tools and other resources not available to the general public.

They can scrape, blast, and clean away stains. They also may be able to bleach or use other topical solutions to reduce the appearance of stains. In addition to regular cleanings and maintenance, ask them about other whitening solutions.

With their skills and experience, your dentist can best advise you on your options for teeth whitening and stain removal. There may be at-home or in-office procedures they can recommend that you would otherwise not find at a drugstore.

On your next dental visit, ask about removing stains on teeth—they are the experts, after all.

Consult the Experts for Removing Stains on Teeth

After trying at-home tips to remove stains on teeth, you may be at a loss. There comes a point when turning to the experts is necessary.

In the Webster Groves, MO area—Webster Family Dental is your solution.

The team at Webster Family Dental cares about your family. We assess and prioritize each patient’s specific dental needs with only the highest level of care and technology.

This way, patients leave our office feeling confident and excited about their smiles. Contact us today for more information on removing stains on teeth, or to request an appointment.