3 Must-Follow Tips Before and After Your Teeth Whitening Treatment

Teeth Whitening Treatment

White pearly smile, squeaky clean teeth and a whole lot of confidence. This seems to be the tagline of all teeth whitening products. And if you decide to go for it, make sure you do the treatment the right way unless you want to go through the unpleasant consequences of the side effects. First thing you must do is consult your dentist and follow their instructions. Even if you decide to do the whitening treatment at home, the dentist will give you recommendations about which product and concentration of the bleaching chemicals you should use. Then, you need to learn a bit about the treatment and what to do before and after it.

To help you out, here are X tips you need to follow prior and after the teeth whitening treatment.

Before the Teeth Whitening Treatment

1. Brush Your Teeth Regularly

importance of brushing teeth

The basic healthy habit you need to practice every day; twice a day is to brush your teeth. Teeth should be brushed a couple of minutes after having meals. Use a suitable toothbrush for your teeth and gum and make sure the bristles are not too hard because they can irritate the gums, which can lead to bleeding. The toothpaste that you are going to use should also be suitable for your teeth and recommended by the dentist. If you decide to use a whitening toothpaste, then make sure you know how to use both of them correctly.

Usually, the whitening toothpaste is recommended for use twice a week while the rest of the time, the regular toothpaste should be used.

2. Floss Your Teeth at Least Once a Day

floss properly

You can’t clean your teeth only by brushing them. By brushing, you will manage to get the three sides of the tooth. But what happens with the sides in between the teeth? You floss to remove any particles of the left-over food in the mouth. This is crucial to do since leaving the particles to decompose on their own is a dangerous thing – the spot where they break down immediately becomes a place for bacteria nesting. Not only the breath will be repulsive, but also the overall health of the mouth will be threatened.

The best is to floss after every meal. If you are in no position to do so, floss at least once a day, before going to bed. Just think of these extra 2 minutes as the saviour of your teeth’s health.

3. Stay Away from Acidic, Sweat and Too Hot or Cold Food and Drinks

sweet and sugary American pancakes

Not only these types of food will make you gain a few more pounds, but also they will slowly destroy your teeth. Acidic, sugary and sticky snacks and drinks are detrimental to the enamel, the outer layer of the tooth. They strip it away and expose the dentin to the exterior stimuli. The dentin’s natural colour is yellow-brownish, so the teeth seem dirty and unattractive. Plus, exposing the dentin leads to the appearance of tooth sensitivity which is quite unpleasant and painful feeling.

Hot and cold drinks only worsen the condition of the teeth and enhance tooth sensitivity. Staying away from this type of food will preserve your teeth’s natural colour, and you wouldn’t need to use whitening products with a high concentration of bleaching chemicals.

After the Whitening Treatment

Once you start whitening the teeth, make sure you follow the same tips from above, plus the following ones.

1. Don’t Smoke

Don't Smoking

Did you know that the nicotine and tar from the cigarettes can cause extreme discolouration of the teeth? Well, they do. So, keep in mind that teeth whitening and smoking don’t go together. It is better to quit smoking if you want a white smile or significantly decrease the number of cigarettes you consume during the day.

2. Use Straws for Drinking

orange juice with straws

If you are a juice lover, you probably will find it hard to quit consuming orange, citrus or any other kind of juices. And why would you when a glass of freshly squeezed orange or lemon will boost your energy level off the charts? Well, in this case, it is better to use a straw for drinking because in this way the acidic ingredients in the juice won’t come in contact with the teeth. Hence they won’t be able to stain the teeth.

3. Always Use a Whitening Toothpaste

whitening toothpaste on a toothbrush

To maintain the brightness and whiteness of the teeth, consider using whitening toothpaste indefinitely in combination with your regular toothpaste. There are many brands of whitening toothpaste, including Opalescence, Lumibrite, Colgate, Oral B, and so on which can help you keep the new colour of the teeth.

Conclusion

Teeth whitening is a treatment or process that takes extra attention and time. You shouldn’t believe the ads you see on your social media timelines that your teeth will instantly become whiter. No, it takes proper use and a bit of time to whiten the teeth the safe way. 

Otherwise, the effects will be counter-effective and instead of getting new, white teeth, you will have new teeth problems.