The teeth tend to darken over the years. Although lifestyle, hygiene habits and diet play an important role in this process, the fact is that the loss of original brightness and white affects, to a greater or lesser extent, all people.

For this reason, there are many queries that arrive daily at our clinic for patients interested in improving the aesthetics of their smile through whitening. Teeth whitening is a treatment that brightens the color of the teeth, leaving them whiter and brighter, and giving them a youthful and healthy appearance. In addition, it has the advantage that it achieves especially visible and surprising results in a relatively short time-one month.

Some of the most common questions of patients who wish to undergo whitening are related to the frequency with which to carry out such treatment as well as its duration after the passage of months. However, both issues depend on each person.

That said, if it is important to emphasize that the ideal is that the whitening is carried out once in the life and the results are conserved through

How to extend the duration of whitening?

Due to the interest of patients for this treatment, our dental hygienist Natalia collects different tips for people interested in knowing the habits, nutrition and hygiene that will help them to make their whitening as effective and durable as possible once they finish it.

Daily hygiene

This is one of the most important points to maintain oral health, regardless of whether the person has undergone tooth whitening or not. To keep the bacteria that accumulate on the teeth after food and that generate plaque, which damages the enamel and causes tooth decay, it is necessary to brush several times a day (after each meal).

Brushing is preferable to be done with an electric toothbrush and to be supplemented with dental floss (at least once a day). Regarding rinsing, it is preferable to consult with our hygienist both the right one for each person and the regularity with which it is used. While some people are recommended to use it once a day, others are advised not to use it. In case of using it, the rinsing should be without alcohol and with fluoride.

Food

There are certain foods and beverages that tend to produce stains on the tooth enamel. Although it is not necessary to stop consuming them, if white teeth are desired for a longer period of time, it is recommended that they be eaten in moderation. Some examples of these foods and drinks are: red fruits, red wine, tea, infusions (chamomile), coffee, dyes (paprika, saffron …) or sauces (curry, soy …).

Tobacco

Tobacco is not only one of the worst enemies of healthy white teeth, as it causes stains, but also of a good state of general health. Therefore, the more you restrict or eliminate your habit, the more beneficial it will be for the person.

Once a whitening has been performed, the teeth will always be whiter than they were before starting the treatment. To maintain the color and brightness achieved for longer, maintenance is recommended every 6 or 12 months

Maintenance

Once the patient has undergone the whitening treatment, it is advisable to carry out periodic maintenance to ensure the color and shine of the teeth for a longer time. The maintenance process lasts 15 days and consists of splints provided by our hygienist in the clinic to be used at home by the patient. Maintenance is significantly cheaper than pretreatment and is usually carried out every six months or a year.

However, when talking about periodicity, we must bear in mind that not all of our patients have the same needs. While there are people who a year after treatment retain the color and shine intact, there are other people especially demanding with their image that demand maintenance every six months.

Professional dental hygiene

Although the frequency with which to perform a professional dental hygiene also varies according to each person and the amount of plaque that accumulates, the usual in the case of patients who have undergone a whitening is to carry it out once a year. .

Despite all these guidelines that will undoubtedly make the whitening more effective and lasting, the best advice is to make a normal life that allows you to enjoy your new whiter smile and encourage you to smile more often. Once a whitening has been done, the teeth will always remain whiter than they were before starting and we will be able to compensate the food that stains the enamel with the hygiene and the periodic maintenance.