4 Mistakes To Avoid After Having Your Teeth Professionally Whitened

When you want your smile to be as white and bright as possible, a professional teeth whitening treatment from your dentist is your best option. Dentists can do in-office treatments by applying high strength whitening agents and aiming a concentrated beam of light at your teeth that activates the chemical reaction in the whitening gel, or you can opt for prescription strength at home teeth whitening kit that your dentist can provide.

No matter which professional teeth whitening treatment you choose, if you want to maintain a beautiful white smile and make the most of your investment in professional teeth whitening, you have to be diligent. Keep your new smile looking great by avoiding these common mistakes:

Consuming Staining Food and Beverages

If you love the way your smile looks after a professional teeth whitening treatment, there are several drinks and food that you should avoid. Try to limit or eliminate coffee, tea, dark sodas, balsamic vinegar, blueberries, tomato sauce, red wine, and hard candies that contain artificial dyes from your regular diet.

Neglecting to Use a Straw

When you can't completely eliminate a staining beverage from your diet, don't make the mistake of drinking it directly from a glass or cup. When you want to keep your newly whitened teeth looking bright, it is in your best interest to use a straw when consuming beverages that are known to stain teeth. When you use a straw, the staining liquid will have minimal contact with the surface of your smile, thus reducing the chance of discoloration or staining.

Not Brushing Teeth Often Enough

After a professional teeth whitening treatment, it is very important to keep the surface of your teeth as clean as possible to prevent staining. Ideally, you should brush your teeth after each meal to remove food particles that are sitting on the surface of your teeth. If it is not possible to brush after eating, make sure you at least rinse your mouth with water to keep the surface of your teeth as clean as possible.

Failure to Use Teeth Whitening Products

There are many teeth whitening toothpastes and mouth rinses on the market, and they can be very useful to maintain the shade of your smile after your teeth are professionally whitened. For best results, ask your dentist about which over the counter teeth whitening products he or she recommends to help slow down staining or discoloration. To learn more, speak with someone like Carolina Forest Family Dentistry.