Teeth Whitening Tips

Whiter teeth have always been associated with youth and beauty, health and vitality. No wonder people around the world crave for that brighter smile to make them feel and look good. Not everyone is born with a set of pearly white and shiny teeth. Moreover, with age, teeth become discolored due to eating wrong foods, drinking collared drinks like tea and coffee, smoking, antibiotic, excess fluoride intake etc.

Teeth whitening is a process that seek to whiten the color of the teeth. It mainly deals with removing stains that lie on the outside of the teeth. A number of whitening treatments are available today to fit every budget, time frame and belief system.

Although tooth whitening does produce marvelous results, it is not a permanent cure or solution to discolored teeth. Any type of tooth whitening treatment is not permanent and requires touch ups maintenance. Overtime the whitening effects produced by any or all types of teeth whitening treatments will fade.

How often do I need teeth whitening?

This depends on the degree of color relapse that occurs overtime after initial treatment. With an at home bleaching system like tray based whitening, you can perform touch up treatments on your own depending on your need (yearly or half yearly).

Since the degree of discoloration is very less once one has undergone treatment, touch up work can usually be accomplished in one to weeks of treatment.

How often to use peroxide teeth whitening?

Carbamide Peroxide is the primary active ingredient or bleaching agent in the professional whitening gel. It is essentially a variation of Hydrogen Peroxide and combined with the unique adherence properties of the specially formulated gel, it provides the chemical reaction required to safely whiten your teeth.

Depending on the exposure to discoloring substances like smoking, tea, coffee etc, some people require peroxide touch ups every 6 to 8 months.

In order to increase the life of your freshly acquired bright smile, dentists over the word recommend the following dos and don’ts:

• Do use an at-home follow-up or maintenance whitening – implemented immediately or performed as infrequently as once a year.
• Don’t drink red wine or coffee immediately after your procedure. Both of these can stain your teeth and leave a residue that does not brush away easily. Quit smoking altogether while treatment is on.
• Do use a straw whenever possible while sipping dark collared beverages.
• Don’t use teeth whitening kits until at least 4 weeks after your treatment. Teeth whitening sessions can be fairly powerful, and you don’t want to damage your teeth with bleaching agents.

Thus to make the best of your teeth whitening treatment, you must follow a consistent oral hygiene accompanied by regular touch ups.