You can enhance your smile by whitening your teeth. You can whiten your teeth in multiple ways, be it at home or in the office. Once you get the experience of a pearly smile, it’s hard to let go. So you want it to last longer, and choosing the best teeth whitening procedure can help you with that. The durability of your white smile highly depends on the type of teeth whitening you go for. You might wonder, ‘How long does teeth whitening last?’.
In this article, we’ll go over different teeth whitening procedures and how long they’ll last.
Does Teeth Whitening Last Long?
Your chosen method and the steps you take for prevention, among other factors, can determine how long your teeth whitening will last. However, you shouldn’t forget that the teeth whitening methods only lighten the stains. In short, a teeth whitening procedure will not get rid of every tooth stain. For instance, extrinsic stains can be removed by teeth whitening. But the intrinsic stains might need other treatments to disappear.
Here are some teeth whitening procedures and how long their effectiveness will last:
1. Whitening Toothpaste
Whitening toothpaste can be effective in removing external stains and show results in between 2 to 6 weeks. Their ingredients include hydrogen peroxide, mild abrasives, and carbamide peroxide, which can whiten your teeth. Still, consult your dentist before using them, as you might be sensitive to the chemicals.
Whitening toothpaste will only reduce surface stains, and the results might last for 3 to 4 months.
2. Whitening Mouthwash
You can also use a whitening mouthwash, which contains hydrogen peroxide, to lighten the external stains. Nevertheless, it’s not as effective and could take 3 months to show prominent results.
3. Whitening Strips
Whitening strips are a popular way that people frequently resolve to. Using strips allows you to whiten your teeth from home within a few minutes. The peroxide and bleach in whitening strips help eliminate the stains on the surface of your teeth. Furthermore, LED accelerator lights with these strips also help whiten your teeth. However, it might take a few applications for the whitening strips to show results. On the other hand, some strips can produce effective outcomes that can last for as long as 6 months.
4. Whitening Pen
Nowadays, whitening pens are popular for lightening your teeth. You can use them to whiten your teeth, but the results don’t last much longer. Moreover, they might take 2 days or a week to work. Since the gel washes away easily, you’ll have to refrain from eating, drinking, or rinsing your teeth for around an hour after you use it.
5. In-Office Tooth Whitening
In-office whitening treatment is the best and most effective procedure to whiten your teeth. Your dentist can whiten your teeth professionally, which usually takes a single visit. In addition, in-office teeth whitening uses concentrated bleaching agents, removing surface stains. Although it is not permanent, in-office teeth whitening can last long — between a few months to 3 years. If you maintain your oral hygiene and take proper care of your pearly smile, it can last longer. Therefore, there are multiple reasons why you should consider professional teeth whitening.
What Should I Do?
Teeth whitening is a common procedure, with many alternative methods. How long teeth whitening will last depends on the procedure. You can visit Pearland Family Dentistry to enhance your smile and show off your pearls today. Schedule an appointment at (832) 649-7344. Or you can visit our dentistry at 8498 S. Sam Houston Pkwy E. Suite 1000, Houston, Texas 77075.