Cosmetic Dental Clinic

Five Tips to Visually Brighten your Smile
by Dr. Clarence Tam, HBSc, DDS  Wednesday 10/03/2010


1) Choose stain-fighting foods: lettuce, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower all help protect your teeth from staining. 

2) Lipstick: stay away from red lipstick with blue hues as this will make your teeth appear grey.  Instead, choose paler, natural nude shades with more of a brownish hue for a smashing smile.

3) Body bronzers: visual contrast is important to making your eyes AND YOUR TEETH *pop*. Instead of suffering the harmful UVA and UVB rays, use a self-tanning lotion or spray tan to get that California look!

4) Jewellery: choose silver, platinum and white rhinestones to match and accentuate the lightness of your teeth. Stay away from gold, which will make your teeth appear more yellow.

5) Clothing: instead of choosing a stark white shirt, go with a creme or off-white coloured top.  This will make your teeth appear whiter than they might really be.

Of course if you really want to get serious about whiter teeth come see us about either our custom home whitening or the 'in-surgery' option.
 -Dr Tam

How to keep your smile amazing
by Dr. Clarence Tam, HBSc, DDS Tuesday 16 /02/2010


1/Coffee and tea: Our everyday fixes. With widespread knowledge of tea's cancer and age-fighting antioxidant properties, and coffee's ability to ward off liver, lower bowel and ovarian cancer, dementia and Parkinson's disease, it is unlikely that we will give these beverages up.  There are two things that you can do to fight staining from coffee and tea: 1) Swish or drink some water between cups of coffee or tea and 2) Add a splash of milk to lighten up the colour and add a dash of calcium!

(TIP:Drinking through a straw will minimize contact of staining liquids with your teeth! and also minimise enamel damage from acid/fizzy drinks)

2/If you can't brush after eating or drinking coloured foods, the best thing to do is to chew sugarfree gum!  This will stimulate salivary flow, gently rub the surface of your teeth, and give you fresh breath for that after-lunch business meeting or romantic rendezvous.

3/Watch what you eat and drink.  Foods like berries are great for your body, but snacking on them all day long will leave you with stained teeth. Berries have malic acid, which leaves the surface of your enamel slightly more porous, allowing the chromogens (staining molecules) from the juice and pulp to penetrate your teeth deeply.  Red wine contains tartaric acid along with chromogens and tannins.  The tannins piggyback onto chromogens and are good at trapping more chromogens.

4/For acidic foods and drinks, wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth since the surface enamel has been weakened and needs time for your saliva to strengthen it up again.  Otherwise, you may just brush away weakened enamel, leaving your teeth sensitive and more yellow.

Next time your in for a visit with me always feel free to ask me any questions thats what im here for!

-Dr Tam

 

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