You’ve tried everything: tanning so your teeth look whiter, high-dollar “whitening” tooth paste, and even take home bleaching kits. But when it comes to giving you whiter teeth, what really works?

As your local family dental office in Virginia Beach, we have the privilege of seeing patients everyday who want to know the secret (and trust me, we’ve heard a lot of interesting stories of failed whitening attempts).

We’ve compiled list of effective ways to actually get the brighter, whiter teeth you’re looking for.
Here you go:

Think you can have white teeth and drink red wind, dark juices, or smoke cigars? Not to say you can’t indulge once in a while, but a regular diet of any of the above teeth-staining culprits will make your teeth whitening efforts an uphill battle.

For best results, also avoid gravies and sodas, and brush your teeth immediately after consuming foods or drinks that stain teeth.

“For best results, also avoid gravies and sodas, and brush your teeth immediately after consuming foods or drinks that stain teeth.”

The average toothbrush costs $2-3. If you’re looking to pinch pennies, we don’t suggest doing so by holding on to your toothbrush for years at a time. To avoid just rubbing around bacteria in your mouth, we recommend changing your toothbrush (or electric toothbrush heads) every two to three months.

“The dentist recommended frequency for coming in for a cleaning and checkup is twice a year.”

We hear this almost every day: “I can’t REMEMBER the last time I saw a dentist…” Not only is this setting yourself up for teeth and gum disease risk, but it’s also going to increase the amount of buildup and stains on your teeth. Coming in for a routine cleaning and checkup every six months will help maintain your brightest smile possible!