Teeth whitening is one of the most popular dental cosmetic treatments in the United States. About 1 out 5 Americans have had their teeth whitened. While results are temporary, you can maintain a whiter and brighter smile longer with a few modifications to some eating and lifestyle habits.
At Advanced Dental Care of Riverdale in the Bronx, New York, our experienced dentist, Dr. Daniel Faiwiszewski, offers professional teeth whitening treatments for our patients.
One of the questions we get asked all the time is how to extend the results of teeth whitening. Here, we want to share our best tips.
What you eat can affect the brightness of your smile. If it stains your clothes, it may stain your teeth.
Some of the most common teeth-staining culprits include:
These foods contain dark pigments that cause tooth discoloration. But you don’t need to cut these drinks and food from your diet. Reduce staining by swishing water in your mouth after eating or drinking the teeth-staining foods.
Even better, brush your teeth after every meal to limit the effects food has on your smile.
When you take a sip of coffee or a swig of cola, the liquid bathes the front of your teeth, dulling the brightness of your most visible teeth. Drinking through a straw may help extend the results of your teeth whitening by placing the liquid in the back of your mouth, bypassing the front of the teeth, and reducing the risk of staining.
Brushing your teeth after drinking coffee, tea, or cola, even if you use a straw, is also recommended for prolonging the whiteness of your smile.
You already know that smoking cigarettes is bad for your health, increasing the risk of heart disease, breathing disorders, and cancer. What you may not know is that smoking stains your teeth.
Every puff you take coats your teeth in nicotine and tar, causing them to yellow and darken. Tooth discoloration happens fast and may cancel out the whiteness before you have a chance to enjoy it.
Smoking is also bad for oral health, increasing the risk of gum disease and tooth loss.
To extend the results of your teeth whitening and improve overall health, stay away from tobacco products.
In addition to helping you avoid cavities and gum disease, brushing and flossing are your best defense against staining and yellowing. If you brush twice a day, floss once a day, and rinse your mouth in between, you may enjoy your whiter, brighter smile longer.
Routine dental cleaning also keeps your teeth white and bright, removing hardened tartar you can’t brush or floss away. Tartar adheres to teeth, turning them yellow.
While you can prolong the benefits of your professional teeth whitening, the results won’t last forever. When the brightness of your smile starts to fade, you can come in for another teeth whitening treatment. Or, you can try our professional at-home teeth whitening kit.
Teeth whitening can transform your smile and boost your confidence. Let us help you get the look you want. Call our office today or request an appointment online. Our office is located in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City.
