How to keep your teeth whitened
Regardless of whether you’ve had a professional course of treatment from your dentist or have been using an ‘at-home’ do it yourself kit, having got your teeth restored back to a sparkling white you’ll obviously want to keep them that way.
Before retiring for the night to keep your teeth whitened you really should pay extra special attention to cleaning them. Throughout the day using ordinary toothpaste is OK, but at the end of an evening you need to give your teeth that special treatment. First of all you should brush your teeth with toothpaste formulated specially formulated to also whiten your teeth. If you haven’t already got one, you should consider using an electric toothbrush for this as it will give your teeth a more even cleaning than an old toothbrush, which uses a ‘hand’ action. This brushing will remove any surface particles of food or liquid that might still be in your mouth. Next, floss thoroughly in between your teeth; not only will this remove particles that you cannot reach with a brush - but it will also help to keep down and remove any plaque deposits. Some people also use a mouthwash as part of their nightly oral hygiene routine to keep their teeth looking white. Generally speaking a mouthwash is targeted more as an antiseptic cleaner for your gums. Now it won’t harm your teeth and will help to clean them; but it could also rinse off the specialized teeth whitening paste that you’ve just used. So, if you do use a mouthwash - make sure it won’t counter the effects of your other teeth whitening products.
Apart from using some of the commercially available products to help you keep your teeth nice and white, the discoloring and staining problems you experience might be due to a reason that can be otherwise controlled. If you are a smoker, quite simply quit it now! Not only is smoking bad for your health all around but it could well be the single most important factor in the discoloration and staining on your teeth. Do you drink red wine? If you do drink red wine then you should at least try to clean your teeth as soon as you’ve finished drinking it. The same applies to drinking tea, coffee and even eating some foods which can contain large amounts of chemical dyes to enhance them. Don’t forget as well that having sugar in your drinks and food will cause tooth decay and subsequent discoloring. Quite simply after drinking or eating something that could cause your teeth to discolor or stain - brush your teeth. If it’s not possible to brush your teeth then at least have a drink of clean water to clear your mouth or chew a gum that is dentally formulated to have a cleansing action on your teeth and gums.