After whitening, maintain your smile with our Doctor's tips to post-treatment pearly whites
Dr Uchenna Okoye of londonsmiling.com says:
1. Use a straw for sugary drinks. This helps protect teeth from acids.
2. Avoid tea and coffee after brushing as your teeth are more porous and prone to staining. Wait at least an hour after brushing for your morning reviver.
3. Cut out strongly coloured foods. If you’re using at-home trays, skip the pesto and anything containing saffron for the duration.
4. Give up smoking. Nicotine will stain faster than almost anything else.
5. Choose the right mouthwash. Some mouthwashes designed to treat gum disease and mouth ulcers (chlorhexidine) may stain when used for a long period.
6. Use an electric toothbrush, such as the Oral-B TriZone 5000, £199. This has a pointed tip for hard-to-reach back teeth, stationary bristles to sweep stains from the tooth surface – and bristles that move perpendicularly to remove food caught between them.
7. Try a whitening toothpaste. If you can’t cut back on the tea and coffee, choose a toothpaste with an exfoliation formula that’ll slough off stains.
Zest's Nicola gets her teeth whitened. Did it hurt? One word - Yes!
