What's the Best Way to Keep My Teeth White?
Apr 09, 2025
Whitening treatments can give you a bright, white smile that boosts your confidence and makes a great first impression. But can you keep your teeth white after your professional whitening treatments? You bet! With the right habits, you can maintain a radiant smile every day.
Here, Laura Llanos, DMD, shares eight ways to keep your teeth white and how the Llanos Dental Group team can help you on that mission.
Plaque buildup can make your teeth appear yellowish, so good oral hygiene is the foundation of white teeth. If you don’t remove plaque, it can harden and form tartar. Tartar (dental calculus) can take on the color of darker foods and drinks like coffee, tea, and red wine.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque before it can harden into tartar.
For an extra boost, use a whitening toothpaste that contains gentle abrasives to polish away surface stains. Just be sure that your toothpaste has the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance.
Brushing your teeth removes plaque from the surfaces of your teeth, but flossing can reach those areas between your teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach.
Flossing helps reduce your risk of gum disease, interproximal cavities (cavities between two teeth), and stains between your teeth.
Tip: You can use regular waxed floss, pre-threaded flossers, interdental flossers, or a water flosser.
Coffee, tea, red wine, and dark sodas can leave behind discoloration over time. The same goes for intensely pigmented foods like berries, curry dishes, and tomato sauce.
You can reduce your risk of staining by reducing your soda and alcohol intake. If you do indulge, try using a straw for beverages.
Tip: Don’t avoid foods like berries or tomatoes — they’re good for your health — but just rinse your mouth with water afterward to minimize staining.
Tobacco products are one of the biggest culprits of yellow teeth. The tar and nicotine in cigarettes and chewing tobacco create stubborn stains that are difficult to remove.
Quitting tobacco not only helps keep your teeth white but also helps reduce your risk of several types of cancer.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day helps wash away food particles and bacteria that can lead to staining. As a bonus, this helps reduce your risk of cavities, too.
Crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, and celery naturally scrub your teeth as you chew, which helps to keep them clean and bright.
Routine dental cleanings help remove plaque and tartar buildup that can make your teeth look dull. During your cleaning, we can remove surface stains to keep your smile bright.
Ideally, schedule a cleaning every six months.
Professional treatments are the way to go when you want a bright smile. In-office whitening treatments use powerful bleaching agents to lift deep stains in just one hour. Not only are in-office treatments more effective (thanks to more potent whitening agents), but Dr. Llanos also protects your lips and gums during your treatment.
But even the best whitening treatments don’t last forever. That’s where touch-ups come into the picture. After your initial whitening session, Dr. Llanos can recommend touch-ups or maintenance sessions as needed.
Dr. Llanos can also provide custom take-home whitening trays that offer professional-grade results with the convenience of at-home use.
Whether you’re ready for a touch-up or exploring in-office teeth whitening for the first time, we’d love to hear from you. Call the office to schedule a tooth whitening consultation, text us at 305-707-7021, or simply book online.