Stay Away from Hot and Cold Beverages: Extreme temperatures can exacerbate tooth sensitivity, especially after teeth whitening. Avoid consuming hot and cold beverages immediately after whitening to prevent discomfort and potential damage to the enamel.
In the hours following your whitening session, it's advisable to steer clear of foods and beverages that are known to stain teeth. This includes coffee, tea, red wine, dark berries, and colorful sauces. By avoiding these items, you minimize the risk of new stains forming on your newly whitened teeth.
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.
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.
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.
Tooth Brushing: Before or After Breakfast
By brushing before breakfast, you don't allow the bacteria from breakfast add to the plaque already formed. Brushing your teeth before breakfast also lowers the risk that the enamel will be damaged.
Nighttime Application Works Best: Applying whitening strips at night aligns with your body's natural healing processes and helps avoid foods or drinks that could restain your teeth after treatment.
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.
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.
Most People Can Whiten Their Teeth Once a Year
Dentists monitor the risks and only recommend whitening to eligible candidates. Most people can get a full bleaching system every 12-18 months with touch-ups throughout the year.
Don't worry! The white, patchy, streaky, or lined look of teeth after whitening is normal – it's called enamel demineralization.
Crest's 3D Whitening Strips are probably the most recognizable teeth whitening method on this list, and with good reason. The brand stands out as the No. 1 recommendation in this category, with dentists telling me their patients get good results within a week or two of using the strips every day.
Most whitening strips are not big enough to cover every tooth. They may stop just before your molars. Sometimes, people don't apply them correctly, leaving some areas untouched by the whitening agents. When that happens, some teeth can end up looking whiter than others.
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.
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.
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.
Strips contain Hydrogen Peroxide and are worn for 30 minutes per day for 14 days. Vivid White - Crest Classic Vivid White uses Hydrogen Peroxide to remove up to 5 years of stain. Wear the strips for 30 minutes for 10 days in a row. Brilliance White - Unknown concentration of Hydrogen Peroxide, worn 30 minutes per day.
Please do not wear 3DWhitestrips while you sleep – especially overnight. While taking a nap during your 30-60 minute strip application time may sound like a great time saver, it could result in wearing the strips longer than recommended, which can result in teeth sensitivity and/or gum discomfort.
To protect your teeth, don't brush them right after having food or drinks that contain a lot of acids.
Regular flossing may also reduce gum disease and bad breath by removing plaque that forms along the gum line. It's best to floss before brushing your teeth.
Spit, don't rinse
Because of this, your teeth have less protection from saliva and are more vulnerable to acid attacks. That's why it's important to remove food from your teeth before bed so plaque bacteria can't feast overnight. Don't eat or drink anything except water after brushing at night.