A whiter smile is a great confidence booster. But while the effects of professional whitening treatments can last for several years, something as simple as your diet can quickly undo the good results. Continue reading to learn how to keep your teeth white for as long as possible after treatment.
Do This to Keep Your Teeth White After a Whitening Treatment
1: Avoid Foods and Drinks That Stain Teeth
There’s a long list of foods and beverages that can stain your teeth: coffee, red wine, black tea, tomato-based sauces, soy sauce, dark-colored fruits and juices, colored energy drinks, and sodas. It’s essential to avoid these foods and drinks completely for the first couple of days after whitening your teeth.
While it’s best to continue avoiding them if you want to keep your teeth white, there are some ways you can minimize stains if you just can’t resist temptation. For instance, drinking through a straw reduces the amount of liquid exposed to your teeth. Rinsing with water immediately after a meal and brushing your teeth 30 minutes afterward can also help keep your teeth white for longer.
2: Don’t Smoke
Nicotine turns teeth yellow and brown over time, and the longer you smoke or vape, the more difficult it is to remove the stains. In addition to staining, smoking also causes significant damage to your teeth and gums. For instance, smoking causes gum recession, gum disease, and oral cancer—it even slows your ability to heal. Quitting smoking is necessary for whiter teeth and better overall health.
3: Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
Inside your teeth is a layer of tissue called dentin, which is yellow. Exposed dentin can make your teeth look stained, even if you don’t smoke or you never consume teeth-staining foods or drinks. Enamel erosion is what allows the yellowish color of the dentin to shine through, so if you want to maintain stronger, whiter teeth, you need strong tooth enamel.
You must brush your teeth twice a day and floss once a day to effectively remove the plaque and tartar that eat away at your enamel. Keep in mind that an electric toothbrush is more effective at cleaning teeth, because it automatically makes the ideal circular motions that are difficult to achieve with a manual brush.
Fluoride toothpaste also helps build strong enamel by remineralizing your teeth, and whitening toothpaste can help reduce minor surface stains. Just make sure to look for a toothpaste that has earned the ADA seal of acceptance so that you know it’s safe and effective.
4: Chew Sugar-Free Gum
Chewing gum promotes saliva production, which helps your mouth eliminate bacteria naturally by washing them away. However, chewing gum only helps if you choose a sugarless type. Exposing your teeth to sugar for long periods of time will cause staining from tooth decay and other, more severe consequences.
Sugarless gum that contains xylitol is the best choice because it reduces bacteria growth. Just make sure the sugar-free gum has the ADA seal of acceptance to ensure it won’t damage your teeth.
It’s also important to avoid chewing more than five pieces a day, and to chew for a maximum of 15 minutes at a time to prevent jaw pain, tooth decay, and other problems.
5: Keep Up with Dental Appointments
You need to have your teeth professionally cleaned at least twice a year to keep them healthy. Your dentist can remove tartar and plaque buildup that can’t be removed at home and would otherwise lead to staining. They can also spot early signs of cavities, gum disease, and other problems that have worse effects than discoloration if left untreated.
Teeth Whitening in Flagstaff, Arizona
If you’re considering a whitening treatment or need a touch-up, the Country Club Dental team can help. We can give you a brighter smile in as little as 20 to 40 minutes. After your whitening treatment, we’ll give you a special whitening pen to take home that will help you keep your teeth white.
We also sell MI Paste, which helps rebuild the surface of your teeth. We recommend using MI Paste after whitening to keep your teeth strong and white. Ask one of our hygienists for more information about how MI paste can benefit you.
To set up a tooth whitening appointment, just give us a call at 928-526-4314 today.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (1/2/2023). Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
