Traditional braces are the perfect dental remedy for a bad bite, overcrowded teeth, or simple misalignment. The end result is a pleasant and healthier smile and an additional boost in confidence. However, braces also pose an obstacle when you wish for whiter teeth along with a straighter smile. Here, is a quick guide to whitening with braces on and whether there are some viable options available to you.
Braces & Teeth
As beneficial as braces may be to correct the alignment of your teeth. It is not always fun and games with them. In fact, there are quite a number of adverse effects that one experiences with braces, most of which the dentist would have advised you about before you had them mounted. Braces offer the wearer more confidence (eventually) and also the chance to maintain better oral hygiene, especially if your teeth were misaligned to begin with. A common occurrence with braces is pain. Removable or lingual braces could offer a brief reprieve from the discomfort, but the pain is normal as your teeth are being forced to change position and shape. However, most of this pain is experienced during or right after a tightening, so that does not have to be a constant concern. The biggest concern, though, is hygiene and potential damage. Because of the mechanics of braces, of large portion of teeth surface is left covered. This means that for each meal you consume, you will leave some part of it wedged between the brace and tooth. And no amount of brushing or rinsing can correct this. In the long run, you may be running a very real risk of cavities, tooth decay, and yellowing of teeth.
While it is possible to get the orthodontist to give your braces a thorough cleaning at the next visit, the yellowing of the teeth is slightly more of a permanent problem. Many people with braces complain that the real cost of a straighter smile is duller teeth. Now, the orthodontist visit is not cheap, and neither is a dentist for an in-office whitening treatment. While you could whiten your teeth professionally at the dentist, it may not be monetarily or physically possible, considering that you have braces on. The remaining choices available to you are home whitening options that are affordable, require less time, and can effectively address the surface stains on your teeth. The problem is, can a self-administered whitening treatment be effective? NuBeam Whitening Strips would like to change your mind, even with your braces on.
Compatibility Issues
When considering a whitening option, you have to figure out logistics. While regular brushing can get food debris out and fight plaque buildup, it can’t really do much when it comes to whitening your teeth, as the braces are in the way. Most of the stains remain hidden beneath the braces. Also, surface stains could be caused by the braces themselves – depending on what type of braces you have on. If you happen to use Invisalign or removable aligners, you could choose any teeth whitening method as these can be removed. Traditional braces are a different ballgame altogether. You would have to find a whitening solution that works with your braces on.
The first hurdle is oral hygiene. Even before you get braces, brushing your teeth is vital. With braces on, the habit becomes more crucial as it is brushing that can clean your teeth and braces at once. You could use either an electric toothbrush or a manual one as long as you do a thorough job. During meals, braces often catch small pieces of food, so it’s important to keep your teeth clean to prevent new stains from developing. Also, avoiding foods that cause stains could go a long way – red wine, artificially colored products, and also reducing or completely avoiding the use of tobacco products can make your oral hygiene routine a lot easier.
Avoiding staining foods and maintaining oral hygiene is only one part of the problem. The other is choosing a whitening product that works with braces in place. There are issues that may occur like getting uneven coloring as part of the teeth are covered. Most whitening products contain quite a heavy dose of hydrogen peroxide, which could cause damage to the braces and may require you to undergo an additional orthodontic treatment. There is also the issue of gum sensitivity. Your mouth has to undergo some amount of pain and discomfort, thanks to the braces, but the exposure to high doses of bleaching agents could cause your gum to become sore and tender.
Whitening Teeth while Wearing Braces
If you wish to whiten your teeth while you have braces on, there are a few options available.
- The first, of course, are in-office treatments at the dentist. These are, by far, the most effective way to whiten teeth with braces on. The doctors have with them tools and whitening products that only they are privy to use and which make whitening yellow teeth very effective.
If spending that kind of money and time is not your cup of tea, at-home treatments are available, too. - A whitening toothpaste is easy to add to your oral hygiene routine and is also conserved to be somewhat effective. Whitening toothpastes can freshen bad breath, clean teeth of plaque and bits of food, and also help to lift stains with regular use. However, toothpastes do tend to take longer to show some actual results. The same can be expected from a whitening mouthwash, too.
- The other available options include whitening trays that hold a whitening gel in place while the gel does its job of lightening tooth discoloration. However, most trays are pre-made to fit snuggly over teeth and not teeth with braces on. Getting the trays on and off could prove to be a challenge if you have traditional metal braces on. This may lead to damage to the dental work.
- A whitening strip could help, though. You have to apply whitening strips directly onto the surface of the teeth which can help get your teeth whiter. Since the amount of bleaching agents in whitening strips is relatively milder, you don’t run as much of a risk of gum disease or damage to the braces. In fact, whitening strips could be your best bet aside from a dentist’s office.
Whitening Your Teeth with Whitening Strips
Before we go ahead, it must be made clear that the whitening strip works best on a level and smooth surface. If you are wearing traditional braces – the metal ones, whitening teeth using strips or any other product is not going to do you much good. The presence of the braces, which cause some discoloration themselves, would act as a hindrance to every whitening treatment.
Whitening strips would work best with lingual braces that can be taken off for a while and then reset again. Once the braces are off, it would be possible for the strips to work on the tooth surface, usually covered by the brackets during the day. At the same time, most whitening strips contain baking soda and/or hydrogen peroxide in larger doses for a brighter smile. Still, only a few care to add potent but safe ingredients in milder doses that protect the tooth enamel and gums. One such product is Nubeam Supersmile. Unlike other supplement brands that spend more on marketing than on research, Nubeam relies solely on the efficacy of its product and your whiter smile as propaganda.
Nubeam is designed to be a safe and easy whitening method, and the kit includes:
- Teeth whitening strips,
- A Shade Guide
- Mouth Guard, and
- An LED light booster – the use of which is optional.
The strips are formulated to remove uneven color, kill off harmful bacteria, and fight plaque and gum disease. Proven through clinical trials to be an effective product, Nubeam strips include the use of hydrogen peroxide for whitening, Menthol and Ethanol for freshness and clearing off bacteria, Glycerin for adhesion, Polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP K30) and Polyvinylpyrrolidone K90 (PVP K90). These ingredients all have independent studies backing efficacy and safety.
Why Choose Nubeam?
If the goal is to whiten your teeth, Nubeam is capable of doing a thorough job. It is easy enough to apply – peel the paper that adheres to the strip, carefully apply the strip to the surface of the teeth for maximum coverage, and leave them there for 60 minutes. Get on with your life and come back after an hour. The use of the LED light is an option as it is designed to boost the whitening effect further. If you wish not to use it, the strips alone work fine without it, too. Continue use for two weeks, within which you should see a marked change in teeth color and shading. The brand also supplies you with a shade card to track the whitening of your teeth.
In an attempt to make teeth white, brands offer a steady stream of products – toothpastes, rinses, strips, and special toothbrushes, that are meant to whiten teeth and keep them white. The truth is, if the brand has one product that works well, there is no need for the others. Nubeam ensures that the purchase and use of just the Nubeam Supersmile Strips are enough to whiten teeth, keep gum irritation and tooth sensitivity at bay, and reduce the chances of further staining of the enamel—results from Nubeam rival those of an in-office treatment.
When using Nubeam with removable aligners, orthodontic patients can also successfully remove stains left by the braces themselves. Since braces tend to snag food debris, these foods can also stain teeth.
The tandem use of braces and white strips would ensure that you have a straight smile that is also whiter. If you want assurance, simply turn to the internet where users and reviewers alike speak praises for the strips. Many claim that they were able to see a difference even after a single use. If that is not enough, Nubeam is also recommended by dentists.
Nubeam includes Hydroxyethyl Cellulose that forms a protective layer across the surface of the tooth. This shields the enamel from damage that is otherwise caused by the bleaching agents. Not many brands include the use of such ingredients that prevent them from causing unnecessary harm.
Lastly, there is the price to consider. A professional cleaning could cost anywhere from $300 to $1000. This added to the orthodontic bill adds up to a lot of money indeed. Nubeam strips cost $49 only and $79 for the entire kit, which includes the LED light along with the strips. In short, you get professional-grade whitening at a fraction of the price.
Summary & Verdict
Braces are a useful orthodontic treatment that can straighten the alignment of your teeth for a straighter and more aesthetic smile. However, the use of braces also poses an obstacle when looking for teeth whitening options. This is because the brackets act as a barrier for whitening treatments to have an even and uniform effect on the teeth’ surface. In addition to that, wearing braces alone could stain teeth. The best way to whiten teeth while you have braces on is to get a professional cleaning. Dentists have the right tools and treatments available to clean teeth thoroughly, even with the brackets on the teeth’ surface.
At-home whitening methods – whitening toothpastes or rinses are easy to use with braces on and they also do not add to the discomfort that is already caused by the orthodontic treatment. However, these methods take time to show results that may not meet your expectations. Whitening trays are not designed to fit around teeth, so the use of that is out of the question. This leaves whitening strips. As effective as strips are on teeth, they may not have similar results if you have braces on. However, strips to whiten teeth can still be used if you use removable aligners. If you are looking for effective whitening options while using traditional metal braces, we would suggest that you avoid foods, drinks, and habits that cause staining and keep from at-home treatments. Otherwise, Nubeam is an excellent choice.
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