Preserving The Whiteness Of Your Teeth After Dental Bleaching

Dentist Blog

Nowadays, many people are choosing to bleach their teeth. Dental bleaching is a chemical whitening process in which the tooth enamel is exposed to a peroxide-based product that helps bleach away dental staining.

The teeth often become progressively stained as you eat, drink, or smoke. Minute particles of the pigments in food, beverages, and tobacco products become lodged in the pores of the tooth enamel and build up over time. 

People can choose to bleach their teeth at home using store-bought whitening kits. However, they can also have their teeth whitened professionally at their dentist's office. 

Professional whitening produces the fastest results. Additionally, it is considered safer because it is conducted by a dental professional.

Still, regardless of how your teeth have been chemically whitened, they can become stained again. Here are a few suggestions to help you maintain the whiteness of your teeth.

Use a Whitening Toothpaste

A toothpaste that claims to whiten the teeth often includes slightly abrasive ingredients, such as baking soda, to gently polish stains away before they settle into the teeth. Additionally, the paste may also include ingredients that help dissolve stains.

Although a whitening toothpaste is considered safe with proper use, you should still take certain precautions. If you have just enjoyed an acidic food or beverage, wait about a half hour or so before brushing. The delay can help ensure that your tooth enamel is no longer in a softened state from its exposure to the acids, lessening the chance of significant enamel erosion from the abrasive ingredients in the toothpaste. Also, be sure to only use a paste that displays the American Dental Association's seal of approval on its packaging.

Rinse Your Mouth After You Eat or Drink

To minimize the amount of colorants that are absorbed by your teeth, rinse your mouth immediately after you eat a darkly colored food or drink a deeply hued beverage. The water helps to dilute the pigments in the substances and rinse them away. Additionally, the water helps neutralize acids that could lead to tooth decay.

Chew Whitening Gum

Like a whitening toothpaste, a whitening chewing gum includes ingredients that polish away dental stains or dissolve them. Chewing the gum after meals can help you avoid restaining your teeth.

The polishing ingredients in a whitening chewing gum include slightly abrasive substances, such as titanium dioxide and sodium bicarbonate. Chemical additives in the gum, such as malic acid, can help dissolve stains safely.

To learn more ways to preserve the whiteness of your teeth, schedule a consultation with a dentist in your area, such as Pinon Hills Dental.

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9 September 2018