After you invest in professional teeth whitening, it’s natural that you would like to prolong the results for as long as possible. The following four tips will help you break habits that stain your teeth, as well as let you know which habits may help keep your teeth white.
1. Drink From a Straw
There are lots of beverages that stain your teeth as you drink them. These include things like coffee, tea, green smoothies, fruit smoothies, and hot chocolate. These stain your teeth through contact, so if you can avoid that contact by drinking from a straw, you’ll be able to prolong your professional teeth whitening results.
2. Enjoy Strawberries
Strawberries contain an enzyme called malic acid. Malic acid is an organic compound that works like a natural whitening agent. For this reason, snacking on strawberries can help to remove leftover stains from eating and drinking. Malic acid can damage your tooth enamel if you don’t remove it, so be sure to brush, rinse and floss your teeth afterward.
3. Avoid Red Wine and Cigarettes
Red wine is one of the worst culprits for staining teeth. If you do decide to drink wine, consider drinking white wine to prolong your teeth whitening results. Cigarettes are another culprit. The nicotine in cigarettes is renowned for causing teeth to be yellow and become unpleasantly stained. There are lots of reasons not to smoke, and whiter teeth is yet another one.
4. Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
Your best defense against stained teeth is to maintain good oral hygiene. This includes brushing, rinsing and flossing, as well as making regular appointments with your dentist. Your dentist isn’t just there to make your teeth whiter, although that is a huge benefit. The dentist is there to ensure that your teeth and gums are healthy.
If you follow all these four practices, you’ll be able to enjoy whiter teeth as long as possible. For more tips about prolonging your professional teeth whitening, contact your dentist.