Short-Term Aftercare for Teeth Whitening
Having a bright, white smile is the reason you scheduled your whitening treatment, so it’s important to take the appropriate aftercare steps to ensure your teeth stay white after your visit to the dentist. Before going to your teeth whitening appointment, other than brushing your teeth, there aren’t any specific instructions you will need to follow. However, after your teeth whitening procedure, there are some things you should do to maximize the whitening results. Here are a few aftercare tips to ensure your smile stays as white and bright as the day you had the treatment.
Cleaning and Hygiene
One of the most important aftercare steps is your hygiene practices, which will affect the prolonged outcome of your teeth whitening results. So, always keep your teeth and gums clean. A few days after the whitening procedure, your teeth will still be susceptible because the pores are still opened, so make sure to use toothpaste for sensitive teeth and avoid colored mouthwashes. Continue to floss as usual, but be gentle, especially when getting in between back teeth.
What to Eat and Not Eat
The food you eat after the teeth whitening procedure can affect the whitening you achieved with the procedure. The food you eat and the beverages you drink may discolor your teeth, especially during the first 48 hours after the procedure, because the pores of your teeth are still open and readily willing to soak in foods that cause staining. As part of your aftercare, some of the foods to avoid and the best foods to eat include:
- Avoid dark staining beverages, such as coffee, tea, fruit juice and red wine
- Avoid fruits, such as berries, especially dark colored berries like blueberries
- Avoid using dark colored sauces, such as soy sauce
- Avoid eating sugary snacks, especially chocolate
- It’s best to eat foods that are white or light colored, such as white fish, white pasta/rice, cauliflower, bananas, crustless white bread, egg whites and plain, low-fat yogurt
- Beverages, such as tonic water, sparkling water, milk, coconut water and clear alcohol are fine to consume.
Mind Your Habits
There are some habits you should avoid after your teeth whitening procedure. Smoking is one of the habits you need to avoid, not only as aftercare for teeth whitening but in the future as well. Smoking stains and discolors your teeth as well as poses a risk to mouth cancer and gum disease. Do not chew on hard items, such as ice.
To maintain your white smile, it is important to maintain your teeth and gums. This means brush regularly, at least twice each day and floss at least once a day. Be sure to schedule routine cleanings and examinations with your dentist and follow all aftercare instructions your dentist provides you with following your whitening session.
To schedule your teeth whitening treatment, contact Great Lakes Dental.