1. Making regular appointments for cleaning your teeth is first on the list. Many people let this slide, but it is important. If you visit the dentist twice a year, you will find that you don't need to worry about whiter teeth as often.
2. Make sure to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day. You want to prevent the build up of plaque, which can discolor your teeth.
3. If you smoke try to cut back as much as possible. Of course it is better for your health if you quit smoking altogether. Smokers have a much more difficult time keeping their teeth white.
4. COMMERCIAL WHITENING PRODUCTS
If you're interested in commercial whitening products, here's a couple points you should know.
* Whitening agents contain either hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. Whether you get it from the store or in a dental office that is what you are getting. The difference is, as is the case with most drugs, stores can only offer this up to a certain strength (concentation or percentage) before it has to be prescribed by a doctor.
** Whitening is a function of two things; 1) concentration of active ingredient and 2) time on tooth. Teeth will whiten faster and deeper with higher concentrations of the peroxide agent and when that agent is allowed to stay on the tooth for a longer period of time.
**** Trays ordered from a dental office are usually given to the patient with a 15-35% whitening agent and have wells or reservoirs built into them designed to "cup" the bleaching agent against the tooth and to prevent its leaking out during application.