How to care for professionally whitened teeth to sustain those stunning results

Congratulations on your new and refreshed smile! Now that you have undergone professional whitening services, we are sure you will want to keep your lovely results. One of the best things you can do for the appearance of your smile is to keep your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy. Remember the custom trays you filled with a whitening gel and wore to whiten your teeth? To enjoy a stain-free smile permanently, our dentist at Hunt Valley Dental, Dr. Thomas Rhodes, may recommend reapplying the gel-filled trays. We are also pleased to provide tailored guidance on how our patients throughout Maryland can maintain their confidence-boosting, healthiest, and most vibrant smiles. This guidance generally includes a combination of: 

• Exceptional home care – With diligence and consistency, you can brush and floss away stains and all other “nasties” that contribute to tooth decay, gum disease, and tooth loss: harmful bacteria and plaque build-up. 
• Professional cleanings – Maintain routine dental cleanings by our experienced hygienists at least once every six months. Our skilled dental hygienists gently remove surface stains, bacteria, and sticky plaque when it builds up and hardens. This stubborn plaque is called “tartar” and cannot be removed with standard toothbrushes and cleaning techniques at home. 
• Drink lots of water – Use water as a “rinse” when sipping or otherwise consuming staining foods and beverages and when you can’t reach a toothbrush to clean your teeth on the go properly. This is, of course, not in place of brushing at least twice each day and flossing daily. 
• Be choosy about tooth-friendly foods, drinks, and practices – Generally, a diet that is good for your body is also good for the health and beauty of your teeth. Limit sugary, starchy, or acidic snacks and beverages. Consider how any food or drink that can potentially stain your shirt can also stain your teeth. It goes without saying that habits like smoking and the use of tobacco products must be eliminated from your daily activities. So, you can return to the road to good oral health, a brilliant smile, and excellent overall health and well-being. 

“Touch-up” treatments may be applied on an ongoing basis from the comfort and convenience of home. Simply refill your custom tray and wear it as directed to keep your smile looking great. Dr. Rhodes may recommend reapplying the gel once or twice every six months. For more information about caring for your whiter teeth, call today with questions or to schedule an appointment. Hunt Valley Dental is happy to support the oral health needs of individuals and their families in Cockeysville, Towson, Baltimore, MD, and beyond.

We can be reached at (410) 771-6300 or from this website. Simply select the “request an appointment” button at the top of this page.