How To Maintain Your Brightness Level After A Teeth Whitening Procedure
Posted on: 13 October 2015
People often seek cosmetic dentists for tooth whitening procedures. However, these same people often fail to maintain their brightness level after the procedures. Remember that teeth whitening isn't a one-and-done process, and the results aren't permanent. You have to actively maintain your brightness level. Here are a few ways how.
The Same Rules Apply
Just remember that all the rules of good dental hygiene still apply. For example, you still need to brush and floss regularly. These two things will help to keep your teeth and gums healthy while also maintaining your brightness level. You should get into the habit of doing these things after meals. If you were lax in these duties before you started the whitening process, you should certainly become more diligent about it going forward.
Avoid Your Old Habits
A whitening procedure is no defense against those things that discolor teeth in the first place. If you want to maintain your brightness level, you will have to abstain from any habits that can cause you to lose it.
- Avoid dark foods that stain – Sauces and dressings like soy sauce and curry can stain teeth. Avoid dark foods such as berries. It's best to moderate your intake of dark foods and staining sauces after the initial procedure, but even after a couple of weeks, it's best to watch what you eat.
- Avoid tobacco and smoking – Smoking is a big cause of discoloration. Avoid smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco as well.
- Avoid drinks that stain – Soda, red wine, coffee, and pretty much any dark liquid is not good for your newly whitened teeth. For the first couple of weeks after your procedure, you should drink from a straw to avoid having these kinds of liquids touching your newly whitened teeth directly.
- Avoid makeup that stains – Certain lipsticks have a habit of staining the teeth. It's best to avoid that possibility whenever possible.
Notice that many of these things are the kind of activities that you should consider cutting back on anyway. Saving your brightness level can help you improve your overall health.
Continue to Whiten
You should also continue to use whitening products on your teeth. You don't have to go for a full at-home whitening program after your cosmetic whitening procedure. Instead, just consider products with some whitening agent in them, such as a whitening toothpaste, or mouthwash. Your dentist can recommend good products for you.
Keep in mind that a whitening procedure is an investment. It helps your smile to go to work for you. You want to maintain that investment so it can continue to serve you into the future. Speak with a cosmetic dentist about whitening options and how to further care for your newly whitened teeth. Have a peek at this website for more information.
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