Smile Correction Devices: The Good, The Bad And The Amazing

If you have decided to try using at-home whitening strips to brighten your dull smile, you may wonder what you can do to increase your chances of using them successfully. If so, make sure you avoid the following mistakes while using your home treatment kit to keep from having uneven results.

Neglecting to Clean Your Teeth First

When you first use your whitening strips, you may feel that there is no need to brush or floss your teeth before the treatment. After all, they contain a bleaching agent that should also clean your enamel as they whiten, right? However, neglecting to clean your teeth before the treatment could backfire and adversely affect your results.

While the treatment agent may help kill germs or bacteria as they remove stains, they do not remove tiny food particles that may be stuck on and in between your teeth. When you apply the strips without brushing your teeth, you will end up bleaching the food instead of the enamel beneath it. As a result, you will have spots on your teeth that are darker than the rest.

Right before you use the strips, brush and floss your teeth as you normally do every day. Then, apply the strips without eating or drinking anything in between your oral care and the treatment.

Smoking or Drinking During the Treatment

Not only should you not eat right before using the whitening strip treatment, but you should also avoid making the mistake of consuming anything or smoking during the treatment. 

Since the strips are wrapped around your teeth, you may believe that they provide enough protection to allow you to eat, drink, or smoke without affecting the outcome. However, since the strips are not fully sealed on the teeth, the food or liquid can become trapped under the strip, as does nicotine and tar when you smoke.

Once trapped under the strips, you could potentially cause further staining of your enamel. Before you consume anything or smoke, wait until after the treatment is finished and the recommended time in the package's instructions have passed.

While using the above tips while using whitening treatment strips at home can improve your results, you may still not get the bright, healthy smile you want by using an at-home treatment. For a more consistent, safer method of getting a whiter smile, speak with a dentist at offices like Steliotes Dental Spa about professional whitening options available for your teeth.