How to Extend the Results of Teeth Whitening

Do your teeth look dull instead of bright white when you look in your mirror? You don’t have to live with discolored, yellowish, dingy teeth that come from years of drinking coffee or tea, or simply from the normal aging process. 

Thomas Eaton, DDS, provides professional teeth whitening services that transform your smile from dingy to sparkling white. A bright, white smile signals good health and can make you look years younger. 

Professional teeth whitening may last for 2-3 years. Certain lifestyle habits can help you keep your teeth bright and white, while others can diminish your results. If you’re considering teeth whitening or you’ve just had it done, you want it to last as long as possible, of course. 

We want to help you keep your newly whitened teeth bright and healthy, too. That’s why we’ve compiled these tips to help ensure long-lasting results.

Limit beverages and foods that stain your teeth 

Have you ever been unable to get a stain out of a favorite shirt? Then you know that dark-colored foods and sauces can wreak havoc on your wardrobe. They can do the same to your teeth. 

Some of the worst offenders are:

• Coffee and tea
• Red wine
• Candy, sports drinks, and colas
• Certain sauces (like soy and tomato)
• Berries

Blueberries and other types of dark fruits are good for you, so you shouldn’t stop eating them. Just be sure to rinse your mouth with water soon after consuming dark foods and beverages, and don’t wait hours to brush your teeth.  

Use a straw 

When you drink from a glass, the liquid bathes your teeth. If it’s coffee, tea, soda, or another dark beverage, it stains your teeth over a number of years. Using a straw can extend your teeth whitening results by keeping dark liquids off your front teeth altogether. 

Don’t use tobacco 

If you smoke, you may not be surprised to know that the habit stains your teeth, but do you know why? When you suck in nicotine from your cigarette and then breathe out, the nicotine is exposed to oxygen; that chemical reaction turns it brown or yellow, and it coats your tooth enamel. 

If you chew tobacco, the tobacco is in direct contact with your teeth. Both habits cause cancer, heart disease, and other health complications. Stay away from tobacco, and your whitened teeth stay whiter longer.

Maintain good oral hygiene

Maintaining good oral hygiene helps prolong the results of teeth whitening. Rinse your mouth with water after consuming dark foods and beverages, and be sure to brush, floss, and use mouthwash twice a day. 

Professional teeth whitening uses powerful whitening agents that aren’t available in DIY treatments at home, and the results are far superior to products you can find at the drugstore. 

Call the office of Thomas Eaton, DDS, in Ione, California, today, or book an appointment through our online portal for expert teeth whitening that transforms your smile.