Follow Up Care for Teeth Whitening

Tooth whitening isn’t a permanent procedure. Certain foods and drinks mean that, for some people, the whiteness may fade as quickly as a month after the treatment. By avoiding food and drink known to stain teeth, you can help to keep your teeth white for a year or longer before needing any touch up treatment.

How to keep your teeth as white as possible:

Make sure that you follow careful oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day, and floss once a day to help get rid of plaque. A whitening toothpaste, one or two times a week, can help to get rid of stains on the surface of your teeth – though it’s fine to use a normal toothpaste the rest of the time.

Make sure that you don’t consume products you know will stain your teeth. If you do have drinks that are known to stain, using a straw can help to stop the drink coming into contact with your front teeth.

Another thing you can do to help is to rinse or brush your teeth as soon as you’ve had food or drinks known to stain.

You should also think about touch up treatments. Depending on the method you originally used to whiten your teeth, it could be 6 months before you need another treatment, or even one or two years. If you smoke and drink a number of beverages that stain then expect to need treatments more often.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is teeth whitening covered by dental insurance?

Dental insurance doesn’t normally cover the cost of whitening treatments.

Will whitening harm tooth enamel?

Studies have shown that 10% carbamide peroxide treatments did not have much effect, if any, on the mineral content and hardness on the enamel surface of the teeth.

Will existing dental restorations be harmed by whiteners?

Whitening products have been in clinical use for more than a decade, and it has been shown that 10% carbamide peroxide has not been shown to harm existing fittings. The main issue is the fact that existing restorations that are tooth-colored cannot be lightened. If you wish to whiten all of your teeth, you will need to replace any pre-existing dental work in order to match the shades.

Will whiteners damage nerves in the teeth?

There is no evidence to show that teeth whitening has any negative effect on the tooth’s nerve. One study included both a 4.5 year and a 7 year follow up, and showed that no individual who had used tool whitening needed any root canal procedure.