How Often Can You Safely Whiten Your Teeth?

Teeth whitening treatment can help to enhance your smile. There are several ways to whiten your teeth including at-home treatments and in-office procedures. Asking your dental care provider is the best way to ensure you brighten your smile safely.
 

What Causes Teeth Discoloration?

Tooth discoloration or staining can be caused by various factors, including:
 

• Staining foods
• Tooth injuries
• The normal aging process

Tobacco use and consuming foods and beverages with staining agents, such as wine, coffee, and berries, can affect your oral appearance. Excess fluoride, poor oral hygiene, certain medications, and illnesses can also cause teeth discoloration. Teeth whitening can help remove some stains and brighten the teeth. If you have a history of dental treatment, it’s important to understand that whitening treatments may not work the same on those teeth and typically do not remove discoloration around fillings or crowns.
 

Professional Teeth Whitening

Professional or in-office whitening is the safest and most effective way to whiten teeth. The procedure usually involves applying a barrier to protect your gums, lips and cheeks, followed by several applications of the whitening gel. Each round of whitening is around 20 minutes long. It is important that your teeth are clean prior to attempting any teeth whitening treatment. If it’s been a while since your last cleaning, it’s important to get your teeth cleaned first to ensure the best results. We want to make sure the whitening gel is touching your tooth and not a layer of plaque or calculus in between. With the in-office whitening treatment, you can experience the best whitening results with just one visit.
 

At-home Teeth Whitening

There are numerous products on the market that promise to whiten the teeth. They range from whitening toothpastes and gels to whitening strips. Unfortunately, most do not work, and those that do have limited results. Most of the products have abrasives that remove surface stains, and for this reason, safety is a major concern when using the products. For safer and better results, dentists can provide custom-made whitening trays and whitening gel for home use. There are different types of whitening gel, and they vary based on composition and strength. The higher strength options can work in as little as 1 hour and the lower strength options can typically be worn to sleep at night. Lower strength means a lower chance of post-treatment sensitivity.
 

When to Get In-Office Whitening?

Dentists often recommend in-office whitening because it is safe to leave the treatment up to the professionals. In-office whitening can take around one to two hours and is ideal for mild to moderate teeth stains or discoloration. The results of in-office whitening last much longer than alternative options, such as store-bought strips or take-home kits.
 

How Often Can You Whiten Your Teeth?

If you use in-office teeth whitening, the results can last months. How long the results will last depends on your diet, natural teeth color, and multiple other factors. Some people require regular touch-ups to maintain the results. People who smoke may require more frequent whitening sessions to achieve and maintain their desired teeth shade.
 

Home whitening kits and OTC whitening strips do not last as long as the in-office whitening treatment. You can use professional at-home whitening kits every four to six months.
 

If you are unhappy with the shade of your teeth, you should visit your dentist for professional whitening. The dentist can help you achieve your dream smile based on your treatment preferences and desired goals.
 

For more on how often you can safely whiten your teeth, visit Hamlin Modern Dentistry at our office in Winter Garden, Florida. Call (407) 993-6370 to schedule an appointment today.
 

https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/teeth-whitening-and-bleaching