Do you want to keep a movie-star smile that will make all of your friends jealous? Perfect pearly whites require a little bit of upkeep; a small price to pay for a sparkly smile.
Do you know how to keep your teeth looking their best? How often should you whiten your teeth? How can you maintain your smile between whitenings?
If you’re looking for the answers to all of your teeth-whitening questions, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn all about your teeth maintenance and what you need to do to keep your teeth shiny and bright.
How Often Should You Whiten Your Teeth?
When it comes to teeth whitening, it’s generally not a one-and-done kind of situation. In a perfect world, we’d be able to whiten our teeth once and have them be in perfect color and health indefinitely.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case. They need upkeep just like the rest of the body! So how often should you whiten your teeth?
Generally speaking, it’s a good practice to return to your dentist for teeth whitening services roughly once per quarter, or once every three months. This is even if you haven’t noticed a dramatic dulling of your smile yet.
This way, the dentist can check on your teeth and see if there are any problems that could be hidden by the whitening effects. Sometimes cavities or tooth damage can be harder to spot when you have teeth whitening done. The dentist can also touch up your whitening treatment so that you can have an even brighter smile!
This is the best way to ensure that you won’t only have a beautiful smile, you’ll also have a healthy one.
How Can I Make My Teeth Whitening Last Between Visits?
Three months might seem like a short time, but in reality, a lot happens to our teeth during that period.
If you want to protect your teeth in the meantime, there are a few best practices that you can follow to keep your treatment looking like you just got out of the dentist’s office until you’re able to go back for a new one.
Don’t Smoke
This one might seem obvious, but it’s important! Smoking is terrible for your dental health. Not only does it damage the overall health of your teeth and mouth, but it also damages the overall appearance.
Smoking regularly will cause yellowing of the teeth and will entirely undo the work of the whitening procedure. If you’re a smoker, it’s a great time to quit if you’re trying to protect your pearly whites.
Avoid Foods and Drinks That Stain
Smoking isn’t the only thing that can cause tooth yellowing!
There are plenty of foods and drinks that can cause discoloration on your teeth, even if they aren’t actually bad for you. While you don’t have to avoid these things completely, it’s best to limit them and drink plenty of water while eating or drinking them.
Some of these foods include
- Coffee
- Red wine
- Berries
- Marinara sauce
- Some teas
In small amounts, these foods are okay. Just rinse well afterward and don’t consume them in excess. Coffee is a major offender when it comes to tooth staining, so be careful!
Brush After Every Meal
Even if you’re careful about your diet, there are still going to be times that you want to eat or drink these foods that stain your mouth. Some of them are healthy and all of them are common.
Keeping a brushing schedule is a great way to help avoid any stains or damage from eating or drinking, and it will also keep you feeling fresh to continue on with your day.
It can be helpful to keep a toothbrush and floss on hand even when you’re not at home, but if you’re unable, a bit of mouthwash works in a pinch.
Brushing your teeth will protect your oral health between visits and keep your smile shining bright.
Keep a Straw on Hand
Keeping reusable straws on hand when you go out is another great way to avoid damage from harmful drinks.
While you’re not likely to be drinking wine through a straw (though you certainly can), drinking sugary drinks through a straw can help protect your enamel and keep artificially colored liquids from your teeth.
You don’t have to give up your favorite sweet drinks, but mitigating damage is essential if you want to keep your pearly whites in pristine condition for as long as possible.
Touch Up at Home
If you mess up during your attempts to keep your teeth bright, there are ways to do quick touch-ups at home with over the counter products between visits. They won’t be as good as the dentist’s products, but they may help tide you over.
If you’re only doing a quick fix, your best option would be a whitening pen. This way, you can localize the whitening that you’re doing.
The touch-ups aren’t a fix, they’re just a band-aid. They’ll hopefully help prevent any noticeable discoloration between visits.
Is it Time For Your Whitening Touch-Up?
So how often should you whiten your teeth? The average person should really see their dentist once per quarter to make sure their teeth stay white and shiny and there’s no underlying damage.
This is the best way to ensure total dental health and a beautiful smile. Remember, it’s not just the appearance of your teeth that matters! You want a healthy mouth as well as a shiny one.
For more information on whitening treatments, or to schedule an appointment today, visit our site. We can’t wait to help you!