If you are going on a first date, just before the special appointment, you will probably pay special attention to your appearance. In addition to the look of your face, you should also consider the condition of your mouth. Here are a few things that you can do to prepare for your upcoming date:

Whiten your teeth the week before.

Although some over-the-counter teeth whiteners require up to a month of use for optimal results, many can  make significant changes to the color of your teeth within a week. Most of these kits contain peroxide-based solutions that are applied to the teeth for a designated time daily. In some cases, the solutions may require multiple applications per day.

Even though you may be anxious to have your teeth their whitest, it is important to adhere to the instructions included with the product. Overuse or abuse of whitening products can result in sensitive teeth.

If you are not comfortable whitening your own teeth chemically, schedule an appointment with your dentist. A professional whitening treatment can whiten your teeth by multiple shades after only one treatment. In addition, the dentist will take precautions to ensure that the soft tissues of your mouth are not irritated by the whitening product.

To further support your whitening efforts, you can chew whitening gum and brush with whitening toothpaste. The gum and toothpaste may not significantly brighten your current dental staining, but they may prevent additional discoloration from occurring. Whitening gum includes slightly abrasive ingredients, such as titanium dioxide or sodium bicarbonate, which help discourage stains from forming. In addition, some gum contains malic acid, which can help make recently deposited pigments easier to remove when you brush.

Use an antibacterial mouth rinses for fresher breath.

Antibacterial mouth rinses usually contain antimicrobial substances, such as alcohol or chlorhexidine. Although both are effective at killing germs in your mouth, it is often best to avoid alcohol-based products because of their tendency to dry out oral tissues

 As the bacteria in your mouth are eliminated, your breath becomes fresher. Bacteria that live on the tongue are often anaerobic. These microbes, which die in the presence of oxygen, release large amounts of volatile sulfur compounds to make your breath uninviting.

Be sure to use mouth rinse immediately after brushing. As an added measure to help ensure that the numbers of bacteria on the tongue are significantly decreased, use a tongue scraper.

For more ways to ensure that your mouth makes a great impression on your first date, schedule an appointment with a dentist at a location such as Barnstable Dental Associates.