To ensure the best results and minimise discomfort, follow these steps before your teeth whitening appointment:
- Consultation and Dental Check-Up: Schedule a consultation to confirm your suitability for whitening and address any oral health issues such as cavities, gum disease, or broken teeth.
- Professional Cleaning: Get a dental cleaning to remove plaque and tartar for optimal whitening results.
- Use Desensitising Toothpaste: Begin using a desensitising toothpaste two weeks prior to reduce sensitivity during and after the procedure.
- Avoid Staining Foods and Drinks: Refrain from consuming coffee, tea, red wine, berries, or other staining foods at least 24 hours before the appointment.
- Stop Smoking: Cease smoking at least two weeks before treatment to prevent further discoloration.
- Gentle Oral Hygiene: Brush and floss gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush to avoid gum irritation before the session.
- Eat Lightly Before the Appointment: Have a meal or snack an hour prior but avoid eating immediately before the procedure.
Proper preparation ensures a smoother experience and maximises the effectiveness of your teeth whitening treatment.
- Avoid extremely hot or cold liquids. These are dangerous to your white smile because they change the temperature of your teeth. This temperature change (hot and cold cycling) causes teeth to expand and contract, allowing stains to penetrate your teeth. Try cutting down on these types of drinks (including coffee and tea) or try drinking them with a straw to reduce the amount of time they are in contact with your teeth.
- Avoid foods and drinks that are acidic. Acidic foods and beverages open up the pores of the tooth enamel allowing stains to more easily penetrate your teeth. Use a straw to help minimize the contact of these substances with your teeth.
- Cut back on drinking and smoking. Frequent consumption of alcoholic drinks and heavy smoking can reverse the effects of teeth whitening. Many alcoholic drinks such as wine have tannins that can stain the teeth. The same goes for the nicotine in tobacco. If you cannot quit drinking and smoking, at least try and reduce the frequency. Alcohol also reduces your resolve to avoid food which may stain your teeth.
- Use smudge-proof lipstick. Use smudge-proof lipstick to keep lipstick from getting on your teeth because regular lipstick can stain teeth. Also avoid tinted lip balm.
For long lasting results, be sure to follow The White Diet during and after every teeth whitening even a treatment with a home touch up kit. You may have a follow up treatment in 4 months if you desire. Keep in mind the more regularly you have a teeth whiting treatment the smaller the results of the treatment will be as there are not as many stains to bleach
THE WHITE DIET After a teeth whitening treatment, the pores of your enamel are open and this makes them extra vulnerable to any stains which can reverse a lot of the whitening benefit from your treatment. Follow the White Diet for 24-48 hours after a teeth whitening treatment. Once the pores close, which usually happens within 24-48 hours after the procedure, you can resume your normal habits. An easy rule to remember is anything that would stain white fabric; Avoid it!
