Perhaps you have recently visited a dental office to undergo a teeth whitening procedure. There are many of these, and they come with varying levels of success. However, no matter which procedure you use, and no matter what kind of promise the dentist gives you, such procedures are not permanent.
A whitening treatment will not keep your teeth permanently white. If you expose your teeth to various beverages and foods that can stain them, then the whiteness will begin to fade. Depending on the intensity of the exposure, that fading could happen in as little as a month after you receive your treatment. For those who can manage to stay away from staining beverages and foods, they could maintain the whiteness of their teeth for up to a year longer before the white begins to fade and they need another treatment.
This isn’t just about people who have undergone teeth whitening, however. It also applies to those who have not undergone the procedure but would like to keep their teeth from turning grossly yellow. There are tips you can follow to ensure your teeth remain white and to keep that ever-threatening yellow at bay.
1. Avoid Tooth-staining Edibles
This is the number one reason your teeth are yellowing, to begin with, and following this step religiously could keep your teeth white much longer and even prevent the need to undergo a teeth whitening procedure. You need to avoid the consumption of any products that stain your teeth. Such products include anything with caffeine, such as tea or coffee, nicotine, such as cigarettes, and alcohol, such as beer and wine. If you do need to drink a beverage that could potentially stain your teeth, consider using a straw to drink the beverage. Straws help because the liquid gets to bypass your front teeth altogether and head straight for your mouth.
2. Brush Often
Brushing your teeth often is often underrated. However, this practice can save you the trouble of stained teeth. If you find it impossible to avoid foods and beverages that stain your teeth, then you can brush every time you consume them to avoid the staining altogether. Thoroughly brushing your teeth with the combination of a good toothbrush and toothpaste ensures you clean your teeth without allowing the stains to set. The sooner you brush your teeth after consuming such edibles, the easier it will be to clean the stains off.
3. Observe Oral Hygiene
Hygiene is important if you’re going to keep your teeth white. For starters, brush your teeth no less than a minimum of twice a day. You should floss at least once a day to get rid of the plaque that forms in your teeth. You should also rinse your teeth with antiseptic mouthwash at least once a day to get rid of the bacteria that cause plaque in the first place.
4. Use Whitening Toothpaste
It’s important to use tooth whitening toothpaste at least once a week. This is a specially formulated toothpaste that removes the stains that form on your teeth and prevent the yellowing of your teeth. For the rest of the week, you can use regular toothpaste.
5. Touch-up Treatments
If you’ve already undergone a tooth whitening procedure, then you should consider going for touch-up treatments. The frequency of these treatments depends on the kind of teeth whitening procedure you used. The touch-up could be as frequent as once every six months or as infrequent as once every two years. The frequency will be higher, however, if you drink lots of staining beverages or smoke often.
