When you head home following a teeth whitening treatment, you probably feel at the top of the world. Your mouth looks healthy and your “pearly whites” are shining bright. This often seems short-lived, though, as stains seem to develop quickly after a dental cleaning.
Fortunately, this isn’t a reality you have to deal with. It’s possible to keep your smile bright between cleanings with just a few proactive steps. If you stick to these strategies, your teeth can look healthy and clean even if it’s been months since you’ve seen the dentist.
Brush Your Teeth Regularly
Whether your last teeth whitening treatment was yesterday or months ago, it’s important to brush regularly. In fact, you should brush your teeth when you wake up and right before you go to bed every day. Better Health Channel recommends using a fluoride toothpaste for this.
In addition to reducing the risk of tooth decay, brushing also helps prevent plaque from building up. This will give you a fighting chance at keeping your smile white even if you’re dropping the ball in other areas of oral health.
It’s important never to forget, though, that regular brushing and even teeth whitening treatments are no substitute for other hygienic behaviours. Take active measures to keep your mouth clean even when you’re not brushing or at the dentist.
Use Whitening Toothpaste
When dentists perform a whitening on their patients’ teeth, they use peroxide-based substances to remove stains. Fortunately, a teeth whitening treatment isn’t the only place you can access such materials. Whitening toothpaste often also contains peroxide-based cleaners.
In addition to stain-removing substances, whitening toothpastes typically contain abrasives. This helps remove any nasty material that’s trying to stick to the surface of your enamel. This may be one of the best strategies you can use to keep your smile bright between cleanings.
Use a Mouthwash and Floss Daily
It may sometimes seem like a hassle to remember to brush twice daily. You’re not alone in this thought. Doing so is essential if you want to keep your teeth white, though, and adding mouthwash and floss to your dental routine can make your efforts even more successful.
While a teeth whitening treatment will make your smile look healthy, it’s possible that issues could exist in hidden ridges or crevices. This may cause problems that invariably lead to plaque buildup, and that’s going to ensure your smile doesn’t maintain a white sheen.
These are the issues that flossing and using mouthwash daily can help with. Consider using a mouthwash that contains fluoride. You can also check into using waterpiks and air flossers as modern alternatives to traditional flossing.
Avoid Foods and Drinks That Stain
There are a variety of foods and drinks that dentists recommend avoiding. Their recommendations are often geared at preventing tooth decay and other major dental issues. After all, it’s possible to have excellent oral health even if your teeth aren’t pearly white.
Of course, everyone loves holding onto the shine from their last teeth whitening treatment as long as possible. If this is something you strive for as well, consider cutting back on the following foods and drinks:
- Curry
- Pasta sauce
- Berries
- Balsamic vinegar
- Sodas (yes, including diet sodas)
- Coffee and tea
- Fruit juices
- Red wine
- Soy sauce
While you don’t have to completely cut these items out of your diet, enjoying them in moderation can keep your teeth looking great after a teeth whitening treatment. It’s still possible to enjoy sodas, tea and other beverages that you’d traditionally avoid to prevent stains.
This is where our next tip comes into play.
Use Straws
Drinking through a straw provides a variety of benefits. First, it prevents beverages from washing over the front of your teeth as they enter your mouth. This is a major advantage if you’re trying to keep your teeth white — as only the front of your pearly whites is visible to others.
Using straws also reduces the amount of time liquids are in your mouth. Less exposure means less opportunity for stains to develop. Even so, you should rinse your mouth with water after enjoying beverages to make the shine from your teeth whitening treatment last longer.
See Your Dentist for Regular Cleanings
No matter how hard you try to keep your teeth white after a cleaning, life is going to catch up with you eventually. Even if you’re vigilant about following these rules, yellowing and stains will invariably develop. This is why visiting your dentist regularly is an essential aspect of oral health.
It’s recommended that you schedule an appointment with your dental hygienist at least twice a year. This is the case even if your mouth is the perfect example of health. In addition to regular teeth whitening treatments, your dentist can check for any potential issues and deal with them.
Schedule Your Appointment for a Teeth Whitening Treatment
This might seem like a lot to keep your teeth white, but these are essential and straightforward preventative dental care strategies. Such steps can help prevent gum disease, tooth decay and many other dental issues. Fortunately, they can also help maintain that white shine after a professional cleaning.
If you’ve ever avoided a teeth whitening treatment because you thought it wouldn’t last, it’s time to push that idea out of your head. Regular dental visits and proactive care can go a long way in keeping your smile bright. Do you want your smile to look as healthy as it feels? Schedule a Dentist Appointment with Dental Family Beaumaris..
