Derek Thomson says, "it's important to show my emotions and feel good about it, you know.

Businessman Derek Thomson works hard to keep his teeth white and it shows.

Unlike most people who whiten their teeth regularly, Derek knows what it takes to keep them  pearly bright for as long as possible.

Most people think coffee and cigarettes are the worst offenders when it comes to staining teeth, but tartar and plague can be just as bad.

Dr. Kevin Gee mentions that plaque is something that's continuously forming in our mouth, If you don't brush that away, what happens is that it will actually calcify and harden into tartar and that leaves rough coating on a tooth and acts as a magnet for stain.

To minimize the plaque, Dr. Gee recommends regularly brushing, flossing and also, rinsing with a mouthwash with zinc chloride as an active ingredient.

Dr. Gee says when you brush and floss and use the rinse with zinc chloride, it actually helped reduce tartar and plaque formation by 20 percent.

If you're a regular coffee drinker and your teeth tend to stain quite easily, Dr. Gee recommends rinsing with a bit of water afterwards or using a straw. 

Derek Thompson says that being a coffee lover, it is very challenging. If you can handle that, everything else is pretty easy.

Before you think of whitening your teeth -- consult your dentist. That's because if you need any dental work, whitening can sometimes accentuate the colour difference. You may end up having to spend extra money to replace the dental work.

Monday October 24, 2005