Whether you’re using an at-home whitening kit from your dentist or a product sold over the counter, there are some simple steps you can take to boost your return on investment. By understanding how teeth whitening works, you can prepare yourself before, during, and after the process to get the brightest smile possible. The guide below will show you how to maximize the results of at-home whitening so you can see a huge improvement in your smile.
Complete Your Whitening Right Before Bed
When you perform teeth whitening at home, the bleach opens the pores of your teeth for 4-6 hours. Ideally, you should not eat or drink anything at that time because you may risk staining your teeth and washing away some of the bleach still being absorbed. Complete the whitening before you go to bed, right after you brush and floss your teeth. Then you can fall asleep and let the bleach do the work without having to worry about negative results.
Avoid Foods And Drinks That Could Stain Your Teeth
If you want to keep your white smile looking white, you should stay away from dark drinks like soda, wine, and coffee for a few days. It’s also best to avoid candies and foods with artificial coloring in them as they could also stain your teeth after whitening. You can resume normal eating and drinking after you are fully satisfied with the color of your teeth. Just keep in mind that the more dental-staining foods you consume, the faster your teeth will yellow and discolor.
If you have to have a cup of coffee in the morning or something else along those lines, be sure to brush and rinse thoroughly afterward so the liquid has very little opportunity to stain your teeth.
Follow The Whitening Instructions Exactly
This may be an obvious tip, but it is one that we emphasize to our patients over and over. The instructions for your at-home whitening trays will ensure that you get the best results from your bleaching the very first time. It will also prevent you from experiencing any pain, like what you may get if you put too much bleach in the tray. If you have any questions about the instructions, do not hesitate to ask.
Continue Whitening Until You Achieve The Brightness You Want
It may take more than one or two days of at-home teeth whitening to get the results you want. You can whiten your teeth every day for as many days as you need to, as long as you do not whiten them more than once a day or longer than an hour per day. Once you have achieved your ideal brightness, you can whiten once a week, once a month, or maybe even less to keep your smile bright. That will depend on your eating and drinking habits, as well as the total makeup of your teeth.
Talk To Your Dentist If You Experience Sustained Discomfort
You should not feel pain or discomfort during your at-home whitening, unless the bleach gets on your gums. That could happen if you apply too much bleach to the trays. If you feel pain or discomfort every time you whiten, talk to your dentist about it. There may be an underlying issue that needs to be corrected before you can complete your whitening process.
At the end of the day, the best way to get the results you want is to abide by the whitening instructions and maintain proper oral hygiene. As long as you keep your teeth clean and follow the procedure given to you, you can get a brilliantly white smile right at home.