It typically takes from several days to a week for tooth enamel to rehydrate after a whitening treatment. To accelerate this process, you should properly care for your teeth, drink plenty of water, and avoid acidic and sugary foods and beverages.
Saliva is the Best Hydration
While drinking plenty of water is always a good idea, it won't necessarily rehydrate your teeth. The best way to rehydrate your teeth is by ensuring your mouth stays moist. Your saliva contains the minerals your tooth enamel needs to resurface and restore itself after whitening.
After 30 min of rehydration, 78.3% of the tested teeth were above the perceptibility threshold, and 31.6% of the teeth were above the acceptability threshold. After 24 h of rehydration, 99.2% of the teeth were below the acceptability threshold, and 90% of the values were below the perceptibility threshold.
The pores slowly close over the next two to three days, but during that time, your teeth are more susceptible to staining from foods and drinks. For at least the first 48 hours, it's best to avoid darkly colored foods and drinks, including berries, coffee, tea, red wine, and tomato sauce.
The natural process of remineralizing the teeth can take anywhere from 24-72 hours, depending on overall oral health and the type of whitening treatment used. Patients should take extra care to follow these rules during the first two or three days after a whitening treatment.
It should be safe to resume your regular diet 48 hours after teeth whitening. Limiting your diet may seem like a daunting task. But this temporary sacrifice can help you achieve a brighter and whiter smile.
Increased Hardness of Enamel: One of the most noticeable signs of remineralization is an increase in the hardness of the enamel. When the enamel is weak and demineralized, it can feel soft. However, as minerals are redeposited, the enamel becomes harder and more resilient.
As the acids leach away minerals from the tooth enamel, they leave behind chalky, white patches.
If you experience teeth translucency after teeth whitening, don't panic! This relatively common side effect usually subsides within a few weeks. To prevent this, use safe and gentle teeth whitening solutions or discuss options with your dentist to ensure a lasting result without the risk of enamel damage.
Teeth are thought to become more sensitive after whitening because the whitener weakens the teeth slightly, exposing “dentinal microtubules” that connect the outside of the tooth to the nerves inside.
Fluoride treatments.
Your dentist may recommend a post-whitening fluoride treatment, especially if you have sensitive teeth. Fluoride works to restore minerals onto the tooth's surfaces after dental procedures like tooth whitening. This treatment helps with preventing future re-staining and long-term tooth sensitivity.
How Long do White Spots on Teeth last After Teeth Whitening? The duration of white spots on teeth after whitening can range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the cause and individual factors. A standard recommendation is to avoid further dental treatments before they entirely disappear.
You may experience sensitive teeth after whitening for around 24-48 hours. Fortunately, sensitivity rarely lasts longer than this.
Right after whitening, your teeth might go through a phase where they're a bit dehydrated, making them look duller. Think of it as a temporary guest at your smile party, one that'll soon take its leave.
Soft tissue or gum irritation caused by teeth whitening gel is considered a chemical burn, very comparable to a sunburn. When a chemical burn occurs, the area becomes mildly sore, turns white, and will eventually flake off. The tissue will return to normalcy within twenty-four hours.
Dehydrated teeth appear white and chalky. You'll notice this more if you're a mouth breather or have a cold. It's why you may get a white spot on a tooth overnight.
Whitening strips often contain peroxide-based chemicals to eliminate enamel stains, which may lead to temporary irritation and redness of the gums. This redness creates a visual contrast that can make the teeth seem more yellow.
By gently coating your teeth with a product like MI Paste or Colgate's Pro-Argin Toothpaste, you will plug up open pores on your teeth and reduce sensitivity. Additionally, the remineralizing effects of these pastes help to improve whitening.
Although teeth whitening is not permanent, it can last for many years. In-office whitening treatments typically last up to 3 years; professional at-home whitening treatment is less long lasting, but it results in much longer-term results than over-the-counter whitening treatments, toothpastes, and whitening strips.
Well, you should know that after undergoing a teeth whitening procedure, you should generally wait at least half an hour (30 minutes), or as long as your dentist recommends before brushing your teeth. This waiting period allows the teeth to stabilize after exposure to the whitening agent.
Increase Your Intake of Vitamins and Calcium.
Teeth remineralization is facilitated by consuming meals high in vitamins and minerals, such as cheese, eggs, seafood, and green leafy vegetables. You can consult your physician about taking supplements if your diet is lacking in calcium.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is not only good for your teeth; it's an excellent vitamin for gums, too. Vitamin C helps keep the connective tissues in your gums healthy and strong, which hold your teeth in place—which means deficiencies can lead to bleeding gums and gum disease.
Baking soda is alkaline, so it can help regulate your mouth's PH by neutralizing the acidity. As such, baking soda not only prevents tooth decay but also helps remineralize your enamel. Baking soda can also limit plaque buildup by neutralizing plaque acids.