How To Keep Your Teeth Looking Perfect After Teeth Whitening

Naturally, you will want to maintain these dazzling results, not just for aesthetic reasons, but because you’ve just spent money on the treatment. Once you have achieved the smile you’ve always dreamed of, you will naturally want to find a way to maintain your pearly whites.

If you’ve recently whitened your teeth and want to know how you can maintain the results long after you’ve left the dentist’s chair, read on...

Avoid staining foods

Some foods will stain your teeth no matter how well you brush. And when your teeth are a dazzling white shade, they will be more likely to show up stains. Tea, coffee, red wine, berries and tomatoes will all stain your teeth and should be avoided. Anything acidic will also cause damage to your enamel and lead to further yellowing.

Drink through a straw

If you just can’t resist that iced coffee or berry smoothie, make sure you drink through a straw. This will help to bypass your teeth and prevent the staining foods from ruining your recently whitened teeth.

Use an electric toothbrush

If you haven’t already upgraded, consider using an electric toothbrush to keep your smile bright and shiny. An electric toothbrush oscillates faster than a manual toothbrush and this can allow you to brush away more of the surface stains before they have a chance to settle in. You should also add flossing to your routine if you don’t already. This can help to prevent stains between your teeth that a toothbrush will struggle to reach.

Brush after every meal

Now that you have a fancy new toothbrush in your bathroom cabinet, you should consider brushing your teeth after every meal to help maintain your pearly whites. After you eat, food debris on your teeth is broken down and this produces acids which attack your enamel. This is one of the leading causes of yellowing teeth. If you’re away from home and unable to brush your teeth, try chewing gum.

Avoid snacking between meals

As mentioned above, food debris left on your teeth is one of the leading causes of enamel erosion and yellowing teeth. To help avoid this, try cutting out snacks between meals. This will ensure your teeth are always clean and help to maintain your last teeth whitening session. Cutting out snacks between meals is one of the best things you can do for your oral health, especially when you commit to brushing and flossing twice a day.

Visit the dental hygienist

When your teeth start to look a little dingy again, don’t automatically reach for the whitening strips. Instead, book an appointment to see your dental hygienist. They will be able to deep clean and polish your teeth using air polishing techniques. This will blast away any surface stains and help to maintain your smile. In many cases, a trip to the dental hygienist will be all you need to achieve the whitening effect that you’re looking for.

Quit smoking

Smoking and vaping will both lead to discolouration of your teeth. If you continue smoking after you have had your teeth whitened, it’s only a matter of time before the staining will take hold again. Whitening treatments may become less effective over time, so preventing the staining is a lot more effective than trying to reverse it. Try switching to nicotine gum to help curb the cravings while you protect your teeth.

Use a home touch up kit

Many teeth whitening kits will include trays you can use at home and then follow up with a dentist’s chair treatment. You should be able to request a refill of the whitening gel from your dentist to allow you to maintain the treatments at home. You mustn’t rely on top-ups too heavily as overuse can lead to increased sensitivity. Instead, use the top-up treatments sparingly before special occasions or after a visit to the dental hygienist.

Get in touch today to find out about our teeth whitening options to help you smile with more confidence.