Almost 15% of the American population has undergone professional teeth whitening. This is around 45 million individuals, showing the procedure is very popular at present. Of course, finishing the treatment is only the start, and as with many cosmetic procedures, you must maintain it to keep its effects going.
Below we detail many of the most effective ways you can prevent your new bright look from tarnishing. As you read through, make a note of each one so you can apply its lesson to your life. This way, you can keep your pearly whites as white as possible.
Don’t Eat or Drink Bright Colors
Maintaining teeth whitening results is not always going to be easy. Sometimes you might need to give up some of the things you love. This includes delicious treats and snacks that have a large quantity of food coloring in them.
Food with bright colors, either through artificial additives or natural dyes, can start to affect your teeth when you chew on it. The natural dyes in food can absorb into the enamel of the teeth through tiny pores that exist across the enamel’s surface. Over time, this builds up and can lead to a brown or yellow stain on the teeth.
Instead, be more careful about what you eat. There is nothing wrong with a small amount of heavily-dyed food in moderation. But, take care to look at what you are putting inside your mouth and ensure it is not going to build up over time.
Continue to Brush Your Teeth
One of the most important things you can do to maintain post-whitening care is to do what you should have always been doing. That is brushing your teeth to ensure they remain clean and healthy.
If you do not brush your teeth, two things can happen:
A buildup of bacteria
A natural buildup of bacteria can start to occur in your teeth if you do not brush your teeth at least twice every day. This should happen once in the morning, before breakfast, and once before bed. Among other things, bacteria can start to degrade the enamel in the teeth or even cause issues deeper in your mouth.
Also, tartar can build up on teeth you have not washed, causing yellowing of the teeth’s surface. Brushing can break up this tartar before it forms and help to stem the discoloration of enamel.
Infusion of colors
As you eat colored food, you will start to pick up tiny stains on your teeth. By brushing, you clean some of those stains away. So, make sure you brush your teeth every night after you have had some of the most intensive meals you will likely have in the day.
This is especially true if you enjoy sugary drinks, as they can start to wear away at the teeth and leave behind stains from the food coloring in them.
Visit a Dentist Regularly
This is a piece of advice that is true whether you have teeth whitening or not. Remember to book and attend a dentist appointment around twice every year to keep your teeth in their best state.
The dentist will check your mouth for cavities, gingivitis, or other issues your teeth might have gained in the time between visits. They will also get rid of any buildups of tartar and other issues regular brushing has not removed. The dentist can then do a thorough clean of your teeth to remove stains you have picked up you may not have noticed.
Return for Maintenance Treatments
If you return to your professional dental care specialist, they will be able to help you keep your whitening up to date. This will entail performing the same process as when you first got your teeth whitened. Although you should be aware it may take much less time than the first application.
You should talk to your chosen medical professional to work out how often you should return for a top-up. They will have more information on how the process could help you and what you need to know before booking an appointment.
Avoid Smoking
If you smoke, you may find that over time your teeth will start to discolor. Despite starting as a pearly white soon after treatment, their surface will become yellow or even brown-stained over time.
Two of the main reasons for this are the tar and nicotine that exist within cigarettes. Nicotine, when it bonds with oxygen in the air, starts to give off the yellow hue you can see on a smoker’s teeth. At the same time, tar can start to leave a brown residue behind over several cigarettes, meaning your teeth become even darker the more you smoke.
These compounds can stick to a smoker’s teeth and start to bond with the teeth themselves. This discoloration can be very hard to remove as a person’s teeth have tiny holes that trap the nicotine or tar, making it harder to remove.
Of course, one of the best ways to avoid this discoloration is to avoid smoking altogether. If you cannot do this for any reason, you should ensure you continue to practice good oral hygiene. You can find the instructions for this above.
If you want to be extra sure of no smoking issues, you can always brush after every cigarette you smoke. Or, if you cannot do this for any reason, try rinsing your mouth with water instead.
Where to Get Professional Teeth Whitening
By paying attention to the above advice, your professional teeth whitening procedure should last for longer. Although, it is still very important that you ensure your teeth remain in the best state possible. For this reason, you should find yourself a professional who can guarantee a high-quality teeth whitening process.
We can talk to you about the ins and outs of teeth whitening treatment to ensure you get the best results possible. So pick up the phone today and start your journey towards whiter teeth now.