How To Keep A White Smile After A Teeth Whitening Treatment

Expert Cosmetic Dentists Give Tips For Teeth Whitening Aftercare

You just had a teeth whitening session at a Florida dentist and you are determined to keep your smile looking as brilliant as possible for as long as you possibly can. But how do you do that? What can you eat? What should you avoid? It can seem quite overwhelming.

Don’t worry. Expert Cosmetic Dentists give tips for teeth whitening aftercare. Here are some things worth considering. Here’s how to keep a white smile after a teeth whitening treatment.

How Long Do Teeth Stay White After Whitening?

The answer to this depends on how extensive your whitening treatment was. If you did the deep bleach, then it can last quite a long time. You have to keep doing some basic treatments at home, but there’s no reason that it can’t last the rest of your life. Other treatments that you do in the office can last up to two years before starting to noticeably fade away.

Doing teeth whitening is not a set-it-and-forget it deal. There are other things that you have to do to make sure that you will continue to be able to flash a dazzling white smile to the people around you. That includes watching what you eat and drink and also maintaining a strong oral health routine that will prevent any gum disease from occuring.

Proper Oral Hygiene: Whitening Toothpaste

The thing about this whitening toothpaste is that it can help maintain the whiteness, but if you are looking to improve the color of your teeth just by using this alone, then you are going to have to have a long-range plan. This is because the peroxide does not stay on your teeth very long as compared to things like whitening strips and the in-office teeth whitening treatments.

Avoid Certain Foods To Maintain Your White Teeth

There are a lot of foods out there that, while being quite delicious, can also stain your teeth. That would definitely offset your recent whitening treatment and cause you to have to have it done again sooner than you would like. Yes, they can be quite tempting, but you should do your utmost to avoid or severely limit them until you have had the event that you whitened your teeth for.

What are these foods? They include:

• Dark Chocolate: Both milk and dark chocolate are so tasty, but they can wind up leaving a brownish stain as you chew it.
• Certain sauces: While these sauces can vastly improve the taste of the foods that you are eating, you are also running the risk of them leaving residue on your white teeth… and dramatically reducing the sheen.
• Certain spices: Spices like turmeric can improve your health… but they can also be a source of staining. You can have your white teeth turn a shade that more closely resembles the spice that you have ingested. Perhaps some of them can be taken as a supplement, like a gummy vitamin.
• Certain fruits: Fruits contain citric acid, which can damage your teeth. Think of oranges or mangoes, to name two. Try to brush your teeth not too long after eating these.
• Berries: Want a great source of antioxidants? Grab a handful of berries. Want a great source of teeth stains? Those berries are also at risk to drastically reduce the whiteness of your teeth. Perhaps a smoothie with a straw that will keep the contents from hitting your teeth might be in order here.
• Colored vegetables: Carrots and spinach may have been the food of choice for Bugs Bunny and Popeye, but they didn’t have to worry about teeth whitening.

Get Regular Dental Checkups

It’s important to see your Clearwater dentist. They can spot whether you’re on a path to possibly staining your teeth again and they can offer tips on what you can do to correct that. Also, you need to make sure that you do not have any gum disease and the twice-yearly visits are enough to stop it while it is in the early stages. Do not skip these.

What else can you do to keep your teeth white? Don’t smoke. Drinking dark sodas should be avoided. The same goes for red wines. There are plenty of good and delicious foods that won’t leave any stains. Pasta and chicken are just two of many. Water is an excellent beverage that will also keep you well-hydrated.

Maintaining your white smile may seem like a lot of work, but after a tiny adjustment period, it will be like second nature, and you will feel confident in showing your teeth in all situations. Then you know that all your efforts will have been worth it.

Need A Tooth Whitening Procedure in Florida? Visit Our Cosmetic Dentists

At The Dental Emergency Room, we handle both dental emergencies and routine dental care. In fact, if you need a general dentist and live in the Clearwater area, come see us for your regular needs, too. Our staff will make sure that your teeth are as white as you want them to be. Contact us to make an appointment today – 727-449-2424

Dental Emergency Room
1935 Drew Street,
Clearwater, Florida 33765
Columbus, OH 43205
Phone: 727-449-2424