Recently you’ve noticed that your teeth appear to be a bit yellow-ish. It’s perfectly normal to have some teeth discoloration of teeth as we age. And being a huge fan of coffee, red wine or smoker only speeds up the process further.
Premiere Dental has over 25 years of experience in dentistry and teeth whitening. So if your goal is to have a perfect white smile, contact us today!
One of the many teeth whitening options that patients go with is a home teeth whitening system. This essentially involves wearing a whitening gel in custom-made trays for a period of 10 days or up to two weeks. The benefit is that you can do it at the comfort of your home, while you sleep or during the day while you want a television or read a book.
Home teeth whitening is a pretty simple process and the results can be quite great! Your dentist will provide you with enough whitening gel for the first application and also some additional gel for maintenance application.
However, just like most things concerning your teeth, there are certain Dos and Don’ts that you need to follow. Here are a few key examples.
We will first start with the DOs of home teeth whitening
- Teeth whitening can somewhat increase your teeth’s sensitivity. This is totally normal during and after teeth whitening and it is reversible. We recommend using special toothpaste or relief gel which will ease the discomfort. And if necessary you can also take some medication.
- Some patients even experience increased sensitivity in their gums, tongue, throat, and lips. If you experience any discomfort which becomes more than just mildly unpleasant, stop with the home teeth whitening treatment until you pay your dentist a visit. Once you discontinue the treatment, the symptoms usually fade and completely disappear after a few days.
- If no notice of some bubbling effect on your whitening tray, no matter if you’re using night or day whitening gel, don’t worry. This reaction is completely normal and it’s part of the bleaching process which will make your teeth sparkling white.
- Keep in mind that not every part of your teeth will be the same color after the treatment, and not every part of your teeth will take the same amount of time to be bleach white. Home teeth whitening solutions tend to whiten the biting part of your teeth faster than the one closest to your gums.
- During home teeth whitening treatment, refrain from smoking, coffee, tea, red wine or drinking sodas. As we mentioned earlier, these beverages are usually the main culprits in staining your teeth.
- One other thing you should avoid is citrus fruits and juices so make sure you don’t eat oranges, tangerines, limes, clementine, grapefruit, lemons, kumquat, etc. These fruits and their juices can cause tooth sensitivity because they change the acidity of your saliva, which in the end can irritate your teeth and gums.
- Keeping good and regular oral hygiene is a must throughout the home teeth whitening process. This also applies if you’re not whitening your teeth. Keeping your teeth clean will spare you of a lot of headaches or better yet…toothache.
- After you complete your home teeth whitening process, if you have leftover whitening gel, we highly recommend that you store it in a cool and dry place. You might need it once again if you want some follow up maintenance teeth whitening.
Now that we have covered the DOs, let’s focus on the DON’Ts of home teeth whitening.
- We highly discourage you to eat, smoke, drink, etc. while wearing your bleaching trays. Home teeth whitening is most effective when it’s done in continuity, and when you don’t remove or move your whitening trays. Try and plan your daily activity so that you can wear your whitening trays without disruption.
- The use of any household whitening product is strictly FORBIDDEN! Household whitening products, like bleach, are very different from the whitening gel you use for your home teeth whitening.
- Applying some household whitening product to your teeth can be potentially life-threatening.
- In case you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, don’t use day teeth whitening gel. Before even beginning the home teeth whitening treatment, make sure that you consult with your teeth whitening options if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
If you’re having any additional questions regarding home teeth whitening or teeth whitening in general, contact us today and schedule an appointment. Let us help you have the perfect sparkling white smile!
