How Often Should I Whiten My Teeth? 

For many people, smiling doesn’t bring the sense of confidence and joy that it should because of stains and discoloration to teeth. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution for brightening one’s smile: teeth whitening. While teeth whitening can be a safe and effective way to improve your smile, it’s important to understand the risks of whitening too frequently and to talk to your dentist about what’s best. To learn more about how often you should whiten your teeth, as well as teeth whitening options that are safe and effective, call our dentists at Distinctive Dental Solutions today.

What Factors Impact the Frequency of Teeth Whitening?

How often you should whiten your teeth depends, in part, on the condition of your teeth and your oral health. Some factors that may impact how often whitening your teeth is safe for you include:

• How stained are the teeth? The first thing to think about is the amount of staining on the teeth. For teeth that are mildly stained, a single professional teeth whitening session may be enough to brighten a smile to the level that meets the patient’s expectations. If teeth are badly stained (i.e. former smokers, heavy coffee drinkers), then multiple visits may be required. 
• What is the current condition of the teeth? One of the most important considerations when thinking about whitening and scheduling appointments for whitening (or even using at-home trays or kits!) is the current condition of the teeth. If teeth are already compromised due to things like gum disease or cavities, whitening MUST BE monitored by a dental professional for the safety of the teeth.  In addition, some tooth issues have to be fixed prior to the use of whitening for the best whitening results to be achieved. 
• Is the patient at risk of gum disease, cavities, and other oral health complications? Another thing to think about is whether or not you’re at a risk of gum disease, cavities, or other oral health complications even if you’re not currently suffering from these conditions. Again, this is because frequent whitening can weaken teeth; if you are already at risk of complications, frequent UNSUPERVISED whitening is something that you should avoid.

Get a Professional Opinion About Teeth Whitening

If you are thinking about teeth whitening, the best option is to talk to a teeth whitening dental professional who can guide you through your options for professional whitening in the office, take-home trays, or over-the-counter options. At Distinctive Dental Solutions, we design treatments that work for our patients. To learn more, please call us today or send us a message online. We are here for you.