After removing the whitening strips, it's crucial to rinse your mouth thoroughly to remove any residual gel. Take a moment to examine your teeth in the mirror, appreciating the initial results. It's common to notice an immediate improvement in the shade of your teeth, which can be quite satisfying.
While it may be tempting to brush immediately after using whitening strips for a fresh feeling in your mouth, it's best to wait at least 30 minutes before doing so.
Rinsing your mouth after using whitening strips can help remove excess whitening gel. However, avoiding immediate use of mouthwash containing certain ingredients that may affect the whitening process is advisable. Brushing remains the recommended practice for comprehensive cleaning.
Rinse Your Mouth Thoroughly: Use lukewarm water to rinse your mouth, ensuring you remove any residual gel from your teeth and gums. You can swish the water around your mouth gently before spitting it out. Brush Gently: Wait at least 30 minutes after removing the strips before brushing your teeth.
Immediate Aftercare: Wait for at least an hour after the whitening procedure before brushing. This time allows your enamel to recover without causing any sensitivity. First 24 Hours: For the initial hours after whitening, avoid brushing to give your teeth time to settle.
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.
Wait for about 30 minutes after removing the whitening strips before brushing your teeth with a soft-bristled brush and fluoride toothpaste to ensure the effectiveness of the whitening agents. Once the strips are removed, avoid eating or drinking anything that will cause staining to the teeth for at least an hour.
Do not touch your gums with the whitening strips. The whitening agent in whitening strips can be harmful to your gums. Particularly, this agent can damage the soft tissue in your gums, which can lead to a wide array of oral health issues down the road. Apply whitening strips evenly.
Tips to Get the Best Results
While teeth whitening strips can be used any time in the day, we recommend that you use them at night before bedtime to help whiten teeth. Brushing teeth after use can help remove any potential leftover residue.
You might be tempted to leave whitening strips on your teeth for a little longer, but this will increase the risk and severity of side effects like sensitivity and gum irritation. In some cases, overuse of whitening strips has even led to chemical burns on the gums.
Rinse: Rinse your mouth as soon as possible to minimize the risk of stains if you drink coffee, tea, red wine, or cola, or eat foods that are likely to stain your white teeth. Brush: Upgrade your regular brushing routine with a whitening toothpaste to continuously help promote a brighter smile.
In order to eliminate stains from the enamel, whitening strips often contain peroxide-based whitening chemicals. They may irritate the gums during this process, resulting in momentary redness and inflammation. This redness can create a visual contrast that makes your teeth look more yellow in comparison.
These pores will be open for a couple hours after the strips are applied, making the teeth that much more likely to stain if contacted with foods and beverages of dark hues. Do not consume any dark-colored food or beverages such as chocolate, coffee, soda, berries and wine until later in the day or evening.
To sum up, brushing your teeth when you wake up is better than brushing after breakfast as it protects your tooth enamel more. If you have to brush your teeth after breakfast, wait for 30-60 minutes after eating.
Whitening strips, which adhere directly to the teeth, can produce noticeable results within a week or two, but again, the effects are generally more modest compared to professional whitening.
Brushing too soon could potentially damage this delicate layer and lead to tooth sensitivity or even enamel erosion over time. To strike a balance between these perspectives, dentists often recommend waiting at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth after using whitening strips.
Also, avoid acidic foods such as fermented items, vinegar, pickles, and citrus fruits. Although the pores should return to normal size after 48 hours, you can be cautious for a full week to make the most out of your teeth whitening treatment.
Rinsing with Water: After using whitening strips, rinsing your mouth with water is an effective way to remove any remaining gel or residue. Swishing water around your mouth helps to wash away the whitening solution without the need for immediate brushing.
To maintain your whiter smile, use up to two Crest 3DWhitestrips teeth whitening systems per year; or try Crest 3DWhitestrips Classic Vivid. These 30-minute once a day strips whiten and help protect your smile against staining.
Many people accidentally drink coffee out of habit right after their teeth whitening, and if you did as well — that is okay. Coffee may not have noticeable effects if you have it once or twice, and it might not interfere with the overall results.
Saliva is the Best Hydration
Since your teeth are slightly dehydrated after whitening, you may be inclined to drink lots of water. 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.
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.