Professional teeth whitening treatments usually keep your teeth white for about a year. Results vary – it might only last for six months or for as long as three years. Some types of treatment keep your teeth white for much longer than others.
The length that professional teeth whitening lasts can vary widely depending on the specific treatment method used and the individual’s oral hygiene and lifestyle habits. Professional teeth whitening can last several months to a year before touch-up treatments are needed.
To help make your teeth whitening results last as long as possible, it is important to practice good oral hygiene, such as brushing and flossing regularly and avoiding foods and drinks that can stain your teeth, such as coffee, tea, and red wine. Some dental offices may also offer take-home touch-up kits or gels to help maintain your results.
Usually, you have to repeatedly whiten your teeth if you want them to stay white. Most people do not have naturally white teeth. Food can stain your teeth even if you brush and floss often enough. However, with the right habits, you can keep your teeth white for a long time.
How Long Does Professional Teeth Whitening Last?
Professional teeth whitening works better than at-home methods do. At-home whitening products work well for many people, but the whiteness may go away after a few months. If you get a professional cleaning, your teeth might stay white for two or three years rather than a few months.
Professional teeth whitening also gets your teeth whiter than at-home treatments do. At-home treatments may not be very effective:
Whitening toothpaste gets your teeth one shade whiter for about a month.
Whitening strips get your teeth about two shades whiter for about two months.
At-home whitening trays that you don’t need a prescription for making your teeth about three shades whiter for about one month.
Some people have better results with at-home treatments than others, and these treatments are cheaper and have fewer side effects.
However, professional treatment can get your teeth two to eight shades whiter. The whiter your teeth get, the longer it will take them to discolor again.
Stronger Treatments Last Longer Than Milder Treatments
Even if two different dental treatments use the same chemicals (hydrogen peroxide or carbide peroxide), they may be unequal in strength. Professional teeth whitening uses a much stronger concentration of hydrogen peroxide than any at-home treatment.
Since these chemicals can hurt people if used incorrectly, at-home treatments are legally required to use much more diluted bleaching agents. As stronger drugs are only available with a prescription, you must visit the dentist for stronger whitening treatments.
Whitening treatments work better than whitening toothpaste does because toothpaste only polishes the surface of your teeth. Whitening solutions can penetrate under the surface of your teeth and clean deep stains. Professional treatments can remove enough deep stains that your teeth stay white for a long time.
Lifestyle Affects How Long Your Treatment Lasts
Unfortunately, professional whitening treatments do not make your teeth less vulnerable to staining. While they may work well to remove stains, they do not usually protect your teeth from staining in any way. Therefore, habits that stain your teeth in the first place will stain your teeth again.
Make sure to practice good dental hygiene, or you can end up with worse problems than stained teeth. Some people brush but don’t floss – this isn’t good enough! Hardly ever flossing is bad for your teeth and will lead to problems that are expensive to fix.
Getting your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year is also a good idea. Even if you brush your teeth, some plaque will still build up on your teeth and harden. A dentist will scrape it off, keeping your teeth clean-looking and healthy.
Not only should you brush your teeth after you eat sugar, but after you drink coffee or red wine, as well. Anything that can stain your teeth should be brushed off shortly after you drink it. You can also drink water to wash coffee off of your teeth.
They might stay white for years if you get a high-quality, professional cleaning and take care of your teeth. If your teeth stain quickly after cleaning them, you might need to change your habits or get a stronger treatment.
