Why whiten your teeth. How white is white?

Teeth whitening is big business these days. Why don't teeth stay white, and how important is it anyway?

Teeth aren't naturally pure white to begin with. Most teeth are a light shade of ivory or yellow. Teeth darken with age, mostly because of accumulated stains that even a professional cleaning wont entirely get rid of. Coffee, red wine, black tea, tobacco, and a variety of medications can darken teeth fairly quickly. Just plain normal living and eating in a Western country will eventually cause stains to build up on teeth. Even after a teeth whitening procedure, teeth will need to be redone within six months to a year and a half to maintain a bright, white smile.

One of the first things we notice when meeting a person is their face. And then whether or not they are smiling. The smile is the first thing, but the quality of the smile and whether strong healthy white teeth or stained and dark teeth are revealed also convey a message. Beautiful teeth convey several messages to us. Health and vitality. Care in personal habits is another. And, rightly or not, confidence and sexiness are also associated with white teeth.

In our culture, white teeth have become a social standard. People on TV and in movies flash radiant smiles. News casters and especially actors in commercials have beautiful white teeth. There are several touchups that are mandatory for professional photographs of models. Having whiter teeth is one of them. It's that important for commercial photos. How can the average person not want to have whiter teeth?

We ve commented on personalities who have gone overboard on teeth whitening and have unnaturally and unbelievably white teeth. Over bleaching will result in teeth that can look artificially white. The goal in teeth whitening should be to improve your smile, so you have a positive impact on people. It shouldn't be that your teeth are what people notice first and think about. It has been said that teeth shouldn't be whiter that the whites of your eyes. You can judge for yourself.

Fortunately, if you want to have whiter teeth, it is easy these days. There is a wide range of products available at a wide range of prices. Laser whitening is expensive and quick. Bleaching trays are middle of the road in price and take a week or two for results. Teeth whitening strips and paint on gel are the most affordable methods. They also take 7 to 14 days and are available to virtually everyone.

Teeth whitening is important these days. And it's one trend that I intend to go along with.