This Saint Patrick’s Day thousands of people across the U.S. will be going out to celebrate with lots of delicious green foods like green cakes, green cupcakes, green chocolate, green eggs and ham, and even the popular Saint Patty’s Day hit green beer. But all this green food has one thing in common: green food coloring. In small doses green food coloring can be a fun way to brighten up your food or play along for Saint Patrick’s Day, but after eating green food coloring all day a person’s teeth will quickly start to show that green dye.
This Saint Patrick’s Day thousands of people across the U.S. will be going out to celebrate with lots of delicious green foods like green cakes, green cupcakes, green chocolate, green eggs and ham, and even the popular Saint Patty’s Day hit green beer. But all this green food has one thing in common: green food coloring. In small doses green food coloring can be a fun way to brighten up your food or play along for Saint Patrick’s Day, but after eating green food coloring all day a person’s teeth will quickly start to show that green dye.
There are two great ways to combat this however, to keep you looking your best while celebrating the upcoming holiday. One great way to make sure your teeth stay white all day on Saint Patrick’s Day is to get a thorough cleaning shortly before the seventeenth. If you want to you could even have the procedure done the day before Saint Pat’s. Teeth cleaning is a regular maintenance procedure that is performed all the time, and is mostly painless. Pain is minimized further when you have the right dentist, like Dr. James A. Wells, who knows how to make sure the cleaning is as pain free as possible.
The benefits to having your teeth cleaned just before Saint Patrick’s Day are simple. When you have a lot of plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth, these normally show up as yellow spots. Sometimes you can get away with some plaque and tartar buildup. Maybe you can keep your mouth mostly closed, or turn your head so the light hits you just right to disguise the buildup. But when you are drinking and eating heavy amounts of food coloring, green or otherwise, the coloring is sure to splash on your teeth and attach itself to your plaque and tartar buildup. Not only will this turn your teeth green, but it will also point out exactly where your plaque and tartar are built up on the teeth, highlighting them for everyone to see in a lovely light green shade!
The other simple and easy way to keep the green off of your teeth this March is to have a teeth whitening procedure. You definitely don’t want to do this right before Saint Patrick’s Day though! You should wait until the day after. Some patients may experience a higher than normal susceptibility to staining immediately after a teeth whitening session. This can also be affected by which of the two available whitening options you choose, ZOOM! or bleach trays. Just to make sure it is better to be on the safe side and get your teeth whitening just after Saint Patrick’s Day. This is an excellent option if you are not due for a cleaning for a while, or were considering getting whitening soon anyway, or even if you just like to stay on top of keeping your teeth in shape! Whitening can take care of any green residue that may stick to your teeth over the Saint Patrick’s Day holiday. Though some of the green dye can be removed with brushing, and none of it will be permanent, it will still be a tell-tale sign on your teeth for a while after the celebrations. It’s better to play it safe than take the risk that you may be walking around with slightly green teeth for the next two weeks or so after Saint Patrick’s Day!
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Don’t Get Pinched on Saint Patrick’s Day!
Saint Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, and you know what that means! On March 17th, people everywhere will be donning green attire to avoid the traditional pinches for not celebrating. But why stop at just wearing green? This year, take your commitment to the environment a step further by considering a hybrid vehicle. Not only will you be celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day in style, but you'll also be making a positive impact on the planet all year round.
