How You Can Maximize Your Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is one of the most requested cosmetic dental procedures by Prathima Rasamsetty, DDS at Preva Dental of San Antoni, Texas, and why not? The simple and effective dental treatment dramatically brightens your teeth and makes it hard to stop smiling. 

While it typically lasts a good while, teeth whitening isn’t permanent, which is why we wanted to share some tips on what you can do to extend the life of your cosmetic treatment. 

Avoid smoking and tobacco products

There are plenty of health reasons why you shouldn’t smoke or use chewing tobacco products. You can add teeth staining to the list. The tar and nicotine in cigarettes cause ugly yellow stains that ruin the whitening effects.

Beware of teeth-staining foods

What you eat and drink significantly affects the life of your teeth-whitening treatments. Some foods and beverages are notorious for staining teeth. To keep your teeth white for as long as possible, we recommend you steer clear of:

• Coffee and black tea
• Red wine
• Artificially-colored candy, sports drinks, and sodas
• Certain sauces (think soy and tomato)

Colorful berries, like blueberries and raspberries, also contain pigments that stain teeth. However, berries are good for you, so that outweighs the effects the pigments may have on your teeth-whitening treatment, especially if you follow our next tip after eating berries.

Stop stains from setting in

We know how hard it may be to cut some of these teeth-staining foods and drinks from your diet. So, after eating or drinking something that may potentially stain your teeth, rinse your mouth with water right away. This quick action removes the staining pigments. 

Drink through a straw

Drinking staining beverages through a straw is a strategy that may extend the results of your teeth whitening. When you drink through a straw, the liquid bypasses the front of your teeth altogether. However, if you’re ever in doubt or you want to be extra cautious, you can rinse your mouth with plain water after drinking the stain-causing beverages. 

Daily brushing and flossing

If avoiding cavities and gum disease weren’t enough incentive to keep up with your daily brushing and flossing, remember that these practices also help maintain your newly whitened teeth. Brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, and rinsing out your mouth in between are the best ways to maintain your oral health and keep your healthy, bright smile. 

At Preva Dental, we offer in-office teeth whitening. If you are looking for the best home whitening kits, you can also get customized trays and a whitening regimen used at home. Contact us by phone or through the online tool today to schedule your teeth-whitening consultation.