When Is The Best Time to Touch Up On Your Whitening?

If you recently whitened your teeth, you may be wondering how to make your smile stay bright for the months to come? Knowing when to touch up on your whitening will help maintain the effects for as long as possible. Your touch-up is a simple process that requires you to wear your tray 30 minutes a day for a couple of days in a row. Here are the best times we recommend touching up on your teeth:

After a checkup

During your routine checkup, your teeth are thoroughly cleaned by a dental expert, ensuring that any surface stains that have accumulated are polished away. With freshly cleaned enamel, you’re teeth will respond better to whitening agents.

Before dental work

Thinking of getting a new crown, filling or any other cosmetic dental restoration? The ceramic or composite materials used in these restorations don’t react to whitening agents and won’t whiten with the rest of your smile if you opt for whitening after dental work. Since your restoration is matched to your smile in order to select the exact shade, touching up on your whitening before you get your dental work done will allow your dentist to choose the best shade of porcelain or filling material for the job.

Drinking dark liquids often

Some stains can affect your teeth more than others. If you drink a lot of tea, coffee, red wine or any other dark liquid, your enamel will easily absorb these stains, making your teeth look darker in short time. Instead of waiting to whiten after your regular scale and clean, we recommend a touch-up every 3-4 months if you drink dark liquids often.

In addition, you can also consider getting a touch-up if your teeth are no longer the shade of white they used to be. So, if they begin to look yellow or discoloured, you can talk to our team and schedule an appointment for a touch-up. 

We typically recommend that you touch up on your whitening every 6-12 months. However, the frequency of teeth whitening touch-ups will depend on factors such as the type of teeth whitening treatment, the severity of staining and how well you care for your whitened teeth. 

Here are some things you can care for your teeth to maximise the effects of your teeth whitening treatment: 

• Avoid consuming highly-pigmented food and drinks such as tea, coffee, wine, beetroot and curry. 
• Quit smoking and alcohol consumption, as these habits can stain your teeth more easily. 
• Maintain good oral hygiene by brushing your teeth at least twice daily and flossing at least once daily. Swishing your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash will also help remove any bacteria and food particles in your mouth, preventing plaque and tartar buildup. 
• Drink plenty of water, as it can wash away bacteria and food particles in your mouth. This can help the effects of whitening last longer.

Need to stock up on your whitening gel or schedule professional whitening treatment? Reach Purity Dental today at (03) 9540 8900 for high-quality treatments and thorough assessments!