Everyone wants white teeth that are healthy and flawless with a Hollywood smile. They are a symbol of beauty, youthfulness and success. But how can we whiten our teeth without damaging them? idee für mich presents the various methods.

Whitening creams do not work miracles

They promise true miracles that they do not work in practice: Whitening toothpastes can freshen up the natural tooth color a little, but they do not ensure truly white teeth. They can only remove superficial discoloration caused by black tea, coffee, red wine and nicotine. This is done by the micro-cleaning particles in the toothpaste, which mechanically eliminate the plaque. After all, the whitening toothpastes do not generally harm healthy tooth enamel, but people with exposed tooth necks should not use them: Their tooth necks could become even more sensitive after treatment.

Professional tooth cleaning: Prophylaxis included

A very healthy way to get well-groomed, white teeth: professional teeth cleaning. It is carried out by a dentist and is best done every six months. During professional teeth cleaning, the dentist first checks the teeth, then the prophylaxis assistant cleans the teeth and interdental spaces intensively and very thoroughly - various methods are used, usually including ultrasound to remove plaque and discoloration. The result is impressive: clean, smooth teeth, as if polished to a high gloss - with simultaneous caries and paradentosis prophylaxis.

White teeth through bleaching

To remove stubborn discoloration that has persisted for many years, you need to work with bleaching agents. You can either do this yourself - with so-called white strips, which you stick to the cleaned teeth twice a day for a few minutes, or in a more concentrated form: A bleaching tray fitted by a dentist is filled with bleaching gel and inserted overnight. After three weeks, the teeth are whitened by up to six shades.

Bleaching at the dentist's is even faster, as the dentist uses the most concentrated gel. The procedure does not take long, as the gel is also intensified by light. With tooth cleaning, which is mandatory before the procedure, the whole thing only takes about an hour and a half. As the whitening gel is highly concentrated and could damage the tongue and gums, it should only be applied by a specialist. Read more interesting articles about dental health, nutrition and much more at idee für mich.