If you’ve recently undergone a professional teeth whitening procedure or just have naturally bright teeth, most likely you want to keep them white for longer. However, this task can be very hard to achieve because various foods, medications, and bad habits can wreak havoc on your dental health. Luckily, by staying proactive, you can help preserve the bright color of your teeth.
Keep on reading to discover the five essential tips for keeping your teeth whiter for as long as possible.
1. Practice thorough dental hygiene
To maintain white teeth, you must first keep them healthy with good and regular dental hygiene. Make sure you brush your teeth two times a day for a minimum of two minutes each time. You should also consider using fluoride toothpaste most of the time and a whitening one about twice a week. Don’t forget to floss your teeth daily to eliminate dental plaque and food particles stuck between your teeth. If unremoved, these can eventually put you at increased risk of decay and gum disease, therefore, compromising your whitening results. Experts also recommend using mouthwash at least once daily to neutralize dangerous oral bacteria.
2. Book touch-ups
As already mentioned, your teeth will inevitably become discolored again. Most whitening results typically last for about two to three years, though this varies in different people. Apart from visiting the dentistry center for biannual dental cleanings, you should also ask a dental specialist about other whitening procedures to touch up your results. Some specialists can offer you take-home whitening trays to help your whitening results last longer.
3. Watch Your Diet
Unfortunately, certain kinds of food and drinks are more prone to discolor your enamel than others. Hence, it’s critical to limit your daily consumption of such foods and beverages to reduce the risk of tooth discoloration. In general, red wine, coffee, tea, and soda tend to be the major causes of stains. However, anything that’s high in colored pigments can potentially discolor your teeth. Consider eating more foods like apples, dairy products, broccoli, carrots, and pineapples because these can help clean your teeth naturally and preserve your smile.
4. Rinse after eating
Because any highly-pigmented food or drink can potentially discolor your pearly whites and avoidance isn’t always an option, consider rinsing your mouth after eating to reduce the risk. By doing this, you can remove colorful food particles from your enamel before they penetrate your dentin. However, try gargling with water or milk only. After about 30 minutes of eating, you can use a mouthwash for more effective cleaning.
5. Try an electric toothbrush
Although regular toothbrushes are effective, electric ones have been shown to clean teeth more thoroughly. If you have trouble reaching the back of your mouth or if you don’t have the perfect tooth brushing technique, an electric toothbrush will help. Electric toothbrushes come in a range of shapes and sizes nowadays. Some have sensors that indicate when you’re brushing too aggressively, others have embedded timers, and specific ones can connect to dental apps. With so many options, you’ll be able to find the appropriate electric toothbrush for your specific situation.
The bottom line
After undergoing a teeth whitening treatment, consider practicing proper dental hygiene and limit the consumption of colorful foods to make the results last longer. Think about using an electric toothbrush since it can provide better cleaning results, helping preserve the color of your smile. Plus, don’t be shy to schedule routine dental cleanings and whitening touch-ups with your dental specialist. These will prevent plaque and bacteria from damaging your enamel and help your smile stay shiny.
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