People often think whitening is a one-off. It is not — natural tooth colour drifts back gently over the years, faster for some than others. The good news is that keeping it bright is mostly about a handful of small habits, not another course of treatment.
1. Keep your top-up trays
If we made you custom trays, do not throw them out. A single night of top-up gel once or twice a year holds the colour beautifully — far easier than starting from scratch.
2. Mind the first 48 hours
Freshly whitened teeth are briefly more porous. For a couple of days after a session, go easy on the deep-staining culprits — coffee, tea, red wine, curries and anything else that would stain a white shirt.
3. Rinse, do not just brush
A quick water rinse after coffee or wine lifts the pigment before it settles. It is the simplest habit on this list and one of the most effective.
4. Keep your hygiene visits
Much of what dulls a smile between whitening sessions is surface stain and biofilm — exactly what a hygiene appointment removes. A gentle Airflow clean can make teeth look noticeably brighter on its own.
5. Whitening does not change dental work
Remember that crowns, veneers and fillings do not respond to whitening gel. If you have cosmetic work, we plan the order of treatment so everything ends up matched — and we will always tell you what will and will not change shade.
If your smile has drifted and you would like a supervised refresh, the Shade Studio will give you a realistic idea of where you can get back to.
Written by Simone Okafor at Lumara Smile Studio, Marylebone.
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