How Often Should I Get Professional Teeth Whitening Services?

You might be wondering why your teeth become discoloured at all and if there is a way to prevent this problem so you don't have to get your teeth whitened in the first place. The first thing you should know is that your teeth will eventually become discoloured no matter what you do. Even if you take good care of your teeth, your teeth will eventually lose their white sheen. 

This is simply because, over the years, your tooth enamel will experience a certain degree of wear and tear from all the food and drinks that you consume. However, there are certain things that make your teeth discolour at a much faster rate. First of all, if you don't brush your teeth very often, this will cause your teeth to become discoloured quite quickly. 

This is because particles from all the food and drinks you consume will stick to your enamel. If you don't use a toothbrush to scrub away these particles, they will eventually stain your enamel. Once your enamel is stained, a simple toothbrush won't be able to make your teeth white again. 

Even if you use whitening toothpaste, this will only do so much to whiten your teeth. That's why so many people go to get their teeth whitened at the dentist's office since dentists use substances that are much more powerful than toothpaste to whiten teeth.

Eating certain foods can also make it much more likely for your teeth to become stained and discoloured. Usually, food and drinks that contain dark pigments are the biggest culprits. For example, coffee, whether it be black or otherwise, is one of the most common causes of stained teeth.

Coffee is full of tiny, dark particles that love to stick to tooth enamel. If you don't brush your teeth soon after drinking coffee, these particles will turn your tooth enamel yellow or even brown in colour. This is also the case with red wine and cranberry juice.

So, where do teeth whitening services fit into all this?

Most dentists will not perform more than one teeth whitening procedure on a person per year. Some dentists will even wait 18 months before whitening a person's tooth enamel again. But is it so simple?

Why can't you get your teeth whitened more often than this? First of all, you should know that the results of professional teeth whitening last quite some time. After the procedure, you will find that your teeth are as white as they can possibly be. 

Even months after the procedure, the colour of your teeth should not be too much different. It is only after a year that the colour will start to become a bit discoloured. However, even then, as long as you take good care of your teeth, your teeth shouldn't go straight back to being yellow or brown. 

If anything, your teeth might have a dull tinge, but even after a year, your teeth should still be relatively white. This is why most dentists recommend not to get your teeth whitened any more than once a year. There wouldn't be much of a point in whitening teeth that are still bright white. 

After a year to 18 months, if you are unhappy with the colour of your teeth, you can go back and get your teeth whitened again if you want to maintain that bright white smile. Keep in mind that if you don't brush your teeth very often or if you consume substances with dark pigments, the discolouration of your teeth may be more dramatic after a year than an average person. 

In this case, it would make sense to get your teeth whitened again.

Keep in mind, however, that it is a bad idea to whiten your teeth more often than this. This is because excessive teeth whitening could end up damaging your tooth enamel. 

Most dentists use a paste made of highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth. The dentist will leave this paste on your teeth for a certain amount of time where it will eat away at whatever stains you may have on your teeth. Each time you go through with this procedure, you will weaken your tooth enamel a bit more each time. 

Doing this once in a while won't harm your teeth and it is very safe, especially when compared to DIY teeth whitening methods. However, if you do it more often than what is recommended, you could run into some serious dental health concerns. As you can imagine, if you get this procedure done all the time, the hydrogen peroxide will start to thin out your enamel quite severely. 

This could lead to tooth sensitivity and other dental problems. But as long as you only whiten your teeth around once a year, your teeth should stay in great shape.

A typical tooth whitening procedure is quite simple and, as mentioned before, it is much safer than most DIY whitening methods. This is because most DIY whitening methods involve removing a significant amount of tooth enamel such as brushing your teeth with baking soda. Even doing this a few times can result in dental problems such as tooth sensitivity. 

Fortunately, as long as you follow a dentist's recommendation, you won't have to worry about these problems when opting for professional teeth whitening. The entire procedure usually takes less than an hour and it is quite painless. Your dentist will protect your gums so that none of the hydrogen peroxide gel will get on them. 

This is important because, otherwise, your gums would end up bleached. Once your gums are protected, your dentist will apply the whitening solution to your teeth. You will need to sit with your mouth open for around a half-hour, otherwise, the whitening solution would get spread around your mouth which could be dangerous for oral health. 

As the whitening solution sits on your teeth, you should not feel any discomfort. However, during this time, the whitening agent will destroy and lift away the stains on your teeth, even the most stubborn ones.

To activate the whitening agent, your dentist will need to shine a special light on your teeth. This will stimulate the whitening agent so that it can do its job as it's supposed to.

During this time, you should be able to sit back and relax while the whitening agent works its magic. Depending on the colour of your teeth, the length of the procedure could vary. 

If your teeth are not all that discoloured, the procedure may only be around 15 minutes. Of course, if your teeth are very discoloured, this process will typically take a bit longer. The hydrogen peroxide gel used is of a much higher concentration than any other whitening agency you can buy at the store which is why it works so well.

For example, many whitening toothpastes have hydrogen peroxide but at very low concentrations. So, they might whiten your teeth a bit, but not as much as a professional whitening service can.

When it comes to professional teeth whitening services, you should avoid whitening your teeth more than once a year. If you try to whiten your teeth more often than this, you risk damaging your tooth enamel and developing problems such as tooth sensitivity. As long as you follow your dentist's recommendations on teeth whitening, your teeth would remain bright, white, and in great shape.

If you're interested in teeth whitening, don't hesitate to book an appointment with us here.