A smile can affect an individual in many situations. Those situations are likely to be social. The social situations may be professional. In either case, a smile that has yellowed or stained teeth is likely to cause a more negative impression than a smile where the teeth are white and shining.
- According to an AACD survey, virtually all adults (99.7%) surveyed believe a healthy smile is socially important.
- Americans spend an estimated $1.4 billion annually on teeth whitening products.
- 82.5% of people saw a noticeable difference after having their teeth whitened by a dentist.
- Only 35% of adults have naturally well-aligned teeth.
Many Americans have discolored or yellowing or stained teeth. This happens for numerous reasons, including a lack of maintenance or proper maintenance techniques. This also happens from excessive coffee consumption or nicotine consumption from smoking or dipping. There are some general guidelines that may help with this.
First, Americans have guidelines to follow when it comes to maintaining teeth. These include brushing and flossing regularly, as well as using mouthwash to disinfect the teeth from all the bacteria that gets settled in during eating throughout the day. The guidelines to do so have been set by the American Dentistry Association.
Americans are recommended to brush at least twice per day, preferably once in the morning and once at night. Americans are recommended to brush at least twice a day to clean the teeth of any food that has built up along the teeth. Brushing also helps removing bacteria as the toothpaste is a disinfectant.
Brushing also may help to take teeth that are yellow and make them cleaner and more vibrant. Brushing generally involves a chemical that whitens teeth. This is often called fluoride. A fluoride toothpaste kills germs and bacteria while whitening teeth, which allows them to shine brighter and be more vibrant.
Americans are recommended to floss once per day, preferably at night. The brushing and flossing guidelines for nighttime application are there to remove all bacteria before going to sleep and to not have the bacteria festering overnight. This helps the teeth shine bright and be more vibrant in the morning and throughout time.
Flossing helps Americans remove food that has been stored in-between the gums. It also helps remove the bacteria that has festered in near the gums, which can cause gingivitis in some patients, especially if they have cuts in the gums. Flossing helps preserve the gums and the sides of the teeth from germs.
There are also many teeth whitening products that can help, even if there are nicotine stains and coffee stains. There are whitening products that are strips that are placed over the teeth and then after a period of time are removed. There are whitening mouthwashes, which are swished around the mouth for a period of time.
There are whitening pastes, which are placed on the teeth for a period of time and then brushed off. There are whitening toothpastes that are designed to help remove stains from the teeth and to make them more beautiful and bright, so that they won’t affect social situations, especially professional situations.
There are other statistics about dentistry that are worth noting in this article.
For instance, more than half of the adult U.S. population surveyed over age 50 agree that a smile is the one physical feature that stays the most attractive as we age, according to a survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
Also, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for licensed dentists is predicted to increase almost 18% between 2014 to 2024. Almost nine out of 10 adults over the age of 20 suffer from some level of tooth decay. 47.2% of adults aged 30 years and older have some form of periodontal disease.
There is another option for those that have yellowing or stained teeth that want them to appear attractive for a long time. That option is a process of putting semi-permanent stains on the teeth called veneers. Veneers are layers of material that are placed over teeth to improve the aesthetics of a smile or protect the teeth.
Veneers are made of composite or dental porcelain. Veneers are considered a prosthetic device that is used for cosmetic dentistry purposes. They are helpful in preserving or accentuating a smile.
