How Long Does Teeth Whitening Last?
One of the best ways to improve your smile is with professional teeth whitening. By visiting your dentist, you can get a special bleaching agent applied to your teeth to dissolve and cover up old stains. Dentists use a special hydrogen peroxide agent designed with teeth in mind, which is a far more effective treatment option than over-the-counter teeth whitening solutions.
However, teeth whitening treatments at dental offices are more expensive than the solutions at your local store, so many of our patients wonder how long treatments last. The answer is complicated, and depends on a number of different factors including the patient’s health, oral habits, and more.
We’ll do our best to help you estimate how long your teeth whitening treatment will last with this guide developed by our experienced dental team here at Doctors Lake Family Dental.
How long does the average professional teeth whitening last?
For the average patient, professional teeth whitening treatment performed at a dental office will last between six months and three years. As explained above, there are a number of different factors that will impact how long your teeth whitening lasts. To make your teeth whitening treatment last longer, consider the following:
- Maintain good oral habits. Remember to brush multiple times daily, and to floss and use mouthwash at least once a day. Additionally, consider an electric toothbrush or brushes with bigger heads rather than relying on simple, small, and disposable toothbrushes for maximum daily oral cleaning.
- Minimize foods that leave stains. Teeth whitening is great for getting rid of old stains, but they don’t provide great protection against new ones. Highly pigmented and acidic foods can all stain your teeth, reducing the effectiveness of treatment. Make sure to minimize your consumption of sweets, soda, coffee, tea, wine, and highly pigmented foods and condiments to best preserve your white simile.
- Avoid tobacco and other intoxicants. Besides being bad for your health in general, tobacco, alcohol, and similar intoxicants are devastating on your oral hygiene. If you really want to make your teeth whitening last, you’ll want to avoid smoking, drinking liquor, and similar substances as much as possible.
Do multiple teeth whitening sessions make a difference?
In general, most dentists only need to perform one teeth whitening session for you to see dramatic improvements to your smile. However, some deep stains require more than one treatment to fully resolve.
Multiple teeth whitening sessions usually leads to a brighter smile compared to just a single treatment visit. However, your oral and dietary habits will still determine how long your treatment lasts. Even if you get multiple whitening sessions done, your teeth whitening won’t last that much longer if you fail to properly take care of your teeth.
How can I tell when I need another teeth whitening session?
It is highly recommended that you schedule a visit with your dentist once every six months as part of a semi-annual check up and cleaning. During this visit, your dentist will usually advise you on whether it’s time to schedule another teeth whitening treatment session.
By looking in the mirror, you can also decide whether you’re satisfied with your current smile or not. If you’re finding more and more stains accumulating in your teeth, or your smile isn’t as bright and white as it used to be, it may be time to schedule another treatment session.
Get your teeth brightened at Doctors Lake Family Dental
Looking to get your teeth brightened? Considering other cosmetic dental treatments? Whatever your oral needs, we’d be happy to help you here at Doctors Lake Family Dental. Located in Fleming Island, Florida, our experienced dentists have been patients around the area for over 40 years! Experience is important in dentistry, but despite our age we also believe in using the latest and state-of-the-art dentistry to help our patients.
Want to make a reservation, or have a question about teeth whitening treatment? Contact us today and reach out to our team here at Doctors Lake Family Dental.