Instead of immediately brushing your teeth, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water after removing the strips. This helps remove any residual gel left on your teeth while also allowing time for your saliva to neutralize and remineralize your tooth enamel.
Final Thoughts. Maintaining a bright smile with whitening strips requires a holistic oral care approach. After treatment, rinse well and avoid stain-causing foods and drinks. Long-term, maintain regular brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups.
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.
A primary way to ensure that your teeth remain hydrated is to drink enough water throughout the day. Most health professionals recommend around 8 to 9 glasses of water a day.
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.
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.
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.
You will also want to avoid colored dental products like toothpaste and mouthwash after the whitening treatment. Avoid colors like red, orange, and purple that can re-stain your teeth. Teeth-whitening procedures can sometimes make your teeth a little sensitive, but it will eventually fade away.
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.
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.
Risk of Gum Irritation: If you brush too vigorously before applying the strips, you might irritate your gums. When the whitening gel comes into contact with irritated gums, it can cause discomfort or a burning sensation.
Removing Residual Gel: Whitening strips can leave a sticky residue on your teeth. Brushing after use helps remove this gel, ensuring your mouth feels clean and fresh. Maintaining Oral Hygiene: Brushing helps remove any plaque or food particles that may have accumulated during the day.
The level of whitening obtained depends on the bleaching agent's concentration in the gel and how often you use the strips. Results can last for several months, but over time, factors like diet and oral hygiene may cause teeth to regain some of their original color gradually.
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.
Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks
To avoid staining your teeth after getting them whitened, it is important to avoid foods and drinks that are likely to cause staining. These include coffee, tea, red wine, and dark-colored fruits and vegetables.
The recovery timeline
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.
Crest 3D White Multi-Care Whitening Rinse contains the same ingredients as the best-selling teeth-whitening strips and works well in tandem with them to maintain pearly whites between uses. Dr. Katz recommends this as a go-to whitening mouthwash because it prevents future stains and is alcohol-free.
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. Remember that proper usage and timing are key factors in achieving a brighter smile safely and effectively!
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.
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.