This tip isn’t just good for keeping your teeth bright, it’s also good for your oral health as a whole. “Don’t underestimate the power of a clean mouth,” Kalasho says. “Many people use whitening at-home agents like gels or strips, but they have plaque on their teeth. Plaque is a thin filament of bacteria that is yellow in nature and stains with the foods you eat. Your teeth could be filled with gum disease and cavity-causing bacteria and you are simply masking it by whitening. Most of the time if you notice your teeth are not getting whiter, especially at the end closest to the gums it’s because you have a bacterial filament on your teeth that needs to be exfoliated by a dental professional so the whitening actually works.”
Make sure you’re brushing and flossing twice a day to keep plaque at bay. Regular dental check-ups are necessary, too. And speaking of dentists, both experts say the efficacy of professional whitening can’t be overstated. “You can use a more profound whitening system by your dentist, called chair-side teeth whitening,” Rubenshtein says. “Also for a more permanent white smile, you can consider conservative porcelain veneers.”
