After months or maybe years of orthodontic treatment, it’s finally time to have your braces removed! As you’re admiring your beautifully straightened smile without any wires and brackets, you begin to notice that your teeth aren’t quite the same color that they used to be. Unfortunately, tooth discoloration is quite common while wearing braces. Thankfully, your beautiful and bright smile could easily be within reach with help from a professional teeth whitening treatment! Read on to learn more about teeth whitening after braces.
Why Teeth with Braces Become Discolored
It’s no secret that practicing your usual dental hygiene habits while wearing braces can be a challenge. Brushing around brackets, flossing underneath the wire, and doing so consistently throughout your orthodontic treatment takes a lot of time and practice. Nonetheless, it’s essential while you wear braces, especially if you want to keep your smile sparkling! The extra challenges presented by braces and the small spaces they create mean that you’re at a higher risk of accumulating particles that stain teeth.
How to Whiten Your Teeth After Braces
If you’re interested in teeth whitening, a quick search will tell you that you have thousands of options to choose from. You could try store-bought whitening toothpastes, mouthwashes, strips, or other over-the-counter store-bought solutions if you’re so inclined. However, since it’s likely that the discoloration on your teeth has gradually developed over a very long time, these products won’t likely be powerful enough to help you achieve the results you’re looking for.
Instead, visit your dentist and ask them about their teeth whitening options. Professional whitening treatments use higher quality products that are much more powerful than anything you can buy at the store or online. In as little as an hour, your dentist can erase stains and brighten your smile by up to eight shades!
When Can You Whiten Your Teeth After Braces?
While you’re probably excited to have your newly straightened smile looking just as good as it feels, professionals recommend waiting at least six months after your treatment to have your teeth whitened. Since the metal brackets of your braces were bonded firmly to your teeth, it’s only natural that your enamel would be a little worn down. Over time, with the help of fluoridated toothpaste and calcium in your diet, your enamel will gradually regain its strength. In the meantime however, it may be slightly sensitive, which can make teeth whitening uncomfortable. Plus, your saliva will be able to wash over your teeth more effectively, which can naturally brighten them. However, if you’re still not pleased with the color of your smile after six months, don’t hesitate to talk to your dentist about teeth whitening.
You deserve a smile that looks and feels its absolute best, so call your dentist today if you’re interested in teeth whitening after braces!
About the Practice
At Super Dental of Fitchburg, we’re dedicated to helping patients of all ages achieve optimal oral health and beautiful smiles. That’s why we’ve outfitted our practice with the latest dental technology and offer a variety of dental services, including everything from braces to teeth whitening! This way, you and your family can get all the dental care you need in one place from the same team you already know and trust. If you’d like to learn more about teeth whitening after braces, we can be reached online or at (978) 342-8500.