If you have recently had your teeth whitened, you may be trying to avoid the development of new stains. However, that can seem difficult if you are going camping for a prolonged period. Without the regular amenities of home, you may feel that you cannot maintain the whiteness of your teeth. Here are a few measures that you can take during a camping trip to help ensure that your teeth are not discolored during your getaway:
Rinse your mouth with water after consuming coffee or berries.
Many campers drink large amounts of coffee during a trip. Instant varieties are easily blended with hot water for a flavorful drink. However, the frequent consumption of the dark liquid can result in the re-staining of your teeth.
It is important to rinse the dark pigments away before they have been absorbed into the pores of your tooth enamel. To do this, simply rinse with water immediately after you consume coffee. Likewise, if you feast on blackberries or raspberries that you find growing in the woods, it is important to rinse your mouth thoroughly immediately after ingesting the fruit to ensure that the natural colorants do not stain your teeth.
Bring along whitening gum.
Gum that includes whitening ingredients can help prevent dental staining. Common whitening ingredients may include baking soda and titanium dioxide. These ingredients serve as tooth polishers that help gently polish away discoloration. Also, some whitening gum contains dissolving agents, such as malic acid, that can help whiten the teeth.
Brush with strawberries.
If you find strawberries near your camp site, they can be used to help whiten your teeth. The strawberries, like some whitening gums, contain malic acid to help dissolve dental stains and make their removal easier.
Bring along your whitening toothpaste.
Although you may be roughing it for the most part, it is okay to bring along a few store-bought items to help protect your newly whitened teeth. Whitening toothpaste can be used in the same manner as other conventional toothpaste to clean the teeth, but it can also help remove surface dental stains. The active ingredients in whitening toothpaste may include baking soda and peroxide.
Rinse with a hydrogen peroxide solution.
You may already be bringing along hydrogen peroxide to act as a disinfectant for your first aid kit. The liquid can also be mixed with an equal part of water to form a whitening mouth rinse. Simply rinse with the mixture as you would with conventional mouthwash after you brush your teeth.
To learn more ways to keep your teeth white during a camping trip, schedule an appointment with a dentist such as Dr. Robert Petrtyl.
Share24 August 2016
When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.