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Teeth whitening with braces is a tricky task. Braces correct misaligned teeth but make it challenging to treat discoloration. It’s difficult for the whitening agents to reach the areas where the brackets cover the surface of the teeth.
But there are options for tooth whitening that work. These span options like professional treatment to simply changing the toothpaste you use. While some treatments may not be as effective as others, it’s best to weigh your options before you make an informed choice.
Is It Safe To Whiten Teeth With Braces?
First, let’s talk about the safety of whitening treatments while wearing braces. Whitening options vary depending on the type of braces you have so make sure to check in with a licensed dentist to see if your chosen option is compatible with your braces.
Though when picking out a treatment, keep in mind that it also takes longer to see results with at-home whitening treatments because they’re not always as effective as professional whitening.
Photo by Enis Yavuz on Unsplash
That said, most teeth whitening methods don’t interfere with your alignment treatment. Using a whitening toothpaste or hydrogen peroxide, for example, are normally safe if not done in the correct amounts.
However, they could damage the metal or ceramic brackets if used improperly. Over a long period of time, they could wear down your braces and reduce the effectiveness of your braces.
Tips To Whiter Teeth With Braces
So, how can we effectively and safely whiten our teeth with braces? Well, here are 5 of the best tips we have based on our years of experience.
1.) Using Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide is perhaps the most common DIY solution for tooth whitening. It involves buying commercial whitening treatments with hydrogen peroxide as their main ingredient. You can then apply it to your teeth by either using it as a paste with baking soda or rinsing it in your mouth.
Unfortunately, you should be extra careful when using hydrogen peroxide to whiten your teeth as it can damage specific types of brackets. If you have metal or ceramic brackets, it would be best to move on to some of our other options.
Using solutions with high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide is known to reduce the amount of protective enamel around your teeth. It also causes sensitivity and possible inflammation of the teeth roots in your gums.
2.) Whitening Toothpaste
Our second tip is to simply change your current toothpaste for one that specifically whitens teeth. It is an effective and easy tooth whitening solution that virtually anyone can do.
Most whitening toothpaste contains fluoride to make teeth stronger and prevent tooth decay, cavities, and plaque. This ingredient is an effective alternative to peroxide as it’s neither as abrasive nor damaging to your enamel.
Whitening toothpastes like the ones from Brilliant Smile contain a high fluoride concentration that actually helps to repair and build the enamel around your teeth. It’s not only perfect for people wearing dental braces but also for those with sensitive teeth as well.
Fluoride may not be as quick to whiten as peroxide but the lack of lasting tooth damage it creates is a worth-it exchange.
3.) Choose The Right Colors
Not many people think about how the color of their braces affect how white their teeth look.
Choosing specific colors for your customizable colored bands can make your teeth appear whiter. Although it does not actually whiten them, it’s still a great way to make your teeth more cosmetically appealing.
How do you do this? You choose darker colors.
Image by Gunther Braun from Pixabay
Dark colors like a deep blue or violet contrast heavily against your teeth. It doesn’t matter what color your teeth are but picking dark colors for your bands will make them appear whiter.
Be careful, however, in choosing black bands. The black replicates the look of food, plaque, and tar in your teeth. This effect will only get worse over time as the bands age. Dark colors are great for “whitening” teeth but going to the extremes will only damage their cosmetic appeal.
To make your teeth look whiter, choose any dark color except for black.
4.) Proper Oral Hygiene
Of course, proper oral hygiene is the most cost-effective solution to getting whiter teeth with braces. Just make sure you brush and floss after every meal and you should be good to go. If you can’t do that, make sure you brush at least twice a day. That’s the recommended amount and it’s probably the most feasible as well.
Brush for at least 2 minutes covering every tooth and then floss to remove any food stuck between your teeth and braces. This will promote healthy gums and a strong white smile.
To prevent further discoloration, it would be best to limit drinks and food that can cause staining. Foods high in sugar and acidity are known to wear down protective enamel and cause cavities. In doing so, you invite tooth stains and harm to your gums.
5.) Professional Treatment
You want your teeth to get whiter as soon as possible. The obvious solution to achieving that is to go get professional treatment. Unfortunately, this may not be the best option for you if you still have braces.
While the teeth whitening process will still visibly work, the Smile Bar recommends you to wait till after you remove your braces before you undergo the procedure. It’s possible for the whitening gel to get stuck on your brackets and demineralize your tooth enamel. This leaves your teeth brittle and more susceptible to staining in the long run.
From a visual standpoint, the effects of tooth whitening won’t be as noticeable due to the barriers in your teeth.
Nevertheless, you can continue to purchase products through our Shop page if you wish to keep your teeth white while having your braces on.
Can You Whiten Teeth While Wearing Braces?
Whitening your teeth while wearing braces is possible. It will depend on the method you choose and your oral hygiene habits. There are several over-the-counter or DIY teeth whitening products that are compatible and effective with braces. These include whitening toothpaste, hydrogen peroxide solutions, and medium bristle toothbrushes.
As for professional treatment, whitening teeth while wearing braces will work – but it’s not recommended. It is possible for the whitening gel to get stuck within your brackets and damage your teeth.
