Teeth Whitening Essentials: Tips, Tricks, and Everything You Need to Know - Northwoods Dentistry (2025)

FAQs

What is the easy secret to white teeth? ›

Use Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

Baking soda can help get rid of plaque that's on your teeth while hydrogen peroxide is an antibacterial agent that can whiten your teeth and keep them free of germs. When you mix these two together, you'll create a paste-like substance.

Keep in mind, the less you indulge in “staining” foods and drinks, the longer your results should last. You don't need to give up staining foods completely, but you do need to avoid them when you are doing teeth whitening. Coffee, tea, wine, blueberries, dark-colored sodas and fruit juices are big-time stainers.

Just before you are ready to start whitening, dry your teeth with a ;ssue or facecloth. Remove the ;p. of the syringe containing the whitening gel and extrude a liAle of the gel (about the size of a match head) onto the smiling surface of each tooth.

Zoom-in-office whitening is the best teeth whitening system out there. It is fast (takes about an hour) and you get great results. This is the one you have probably seen before where the patients are under that blue light and it turns your teeth up to four shades of whiter.

Teeth that have yellowed with age

Dentin is naturally yellowish and cannot be lightened with teeth whitening products.

As for whether you should brush your teeth after using whitening strips, there is no definitive answer. While some experts recommend brushing immediately after removing the strips to ensure all residue is removed, others advise waiting for 30 minutes to allow the enamel to rehydrate and minimize potential abrasion.

The pores in your teeth are slightly more open and can more easily allow stains in. Smile Brilliant and dentist professionals recommend whitening before bed as it reduces the opportunity for staining and gives your teeth the night to begin rehydrating and remineralizing.

If you experience a buildup of saliva while using, it's fine to briefly remove the device, expectorate (spit) and then replace it back into your mouth.

How long do your teeth stay white after whitening? ›

The short answer is, “it depends.” The effects of teeth whitening can last up to 2-3 years or as little as six months, and it varies from person to person. It won't last as long if you indulge in things that stain your teeth, such as: Smoking.

Option #1: In-Office Laser Whitening

This is one of the popular teeth whitening methods that some people believe is the most effective way to get a brighter smile. Using lasers and peroxide-based whitening agents in a professional setting, this teeth whitening method provides dramatic, lasting results.

Dentists can treat you with 6% hydrogen peroxide (the bleaching agent that whitens teeth) – this is nearly 6,000 times stronger than any over-the-counter tooth whitening product. Because of this, tooth whitening by a dentist will give you the very best results.

Carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide are commonly used in whitening interventions and can readily permeate dental hard tissues. Temporary tooth sensitivity and gingival inflammation are the most common adverse effects of vital tooth whitening.

Baking-powder eliminates stains on the surface of your teeth and lemon juice as we already said has multiple components that lighten teeth. Just mix a teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice and brush your teeth with the paste this mixture will work wonders in just two minutes.

Rub banana, orange, or lemon peels:

To perform this “trick,” take a banana, orange, or lemon peel and gently rub it on your teeth. Keep rubbing it for about 2 minutes, then thoroughly wash your mouth and brush your teeth. The peels of these fruits contain citric acid, which theoretically helps in teeth whitening.