Tooth whitening is not a permanent solution to happy and sparkling teeth. If you abuse your teeth too much and expose it to foods and beverages that are damaging to your dental health then the whiteness starts to fade in just a month after you have undergone the tedious process of whitening your teeth.

If you can avoid foods and beverages that causes your teeth to stain then your sparkling teeth with the recent touch up is ensured for a year before you have to go through the same process of whitening your teeth again.

If you have newly whitened your teeth and want this to be effective and noticed for a long time then you must keep in mind the following things to keep your teeth happy and white.

Don't consume product that could stain your whitened teeth. These include certain food, beverages, tobacco, alcohol etc. If you have to choose beverage that can damage the whitening then you must use a straw so that the liquid barely touches your front teeth.

Brush and rinse carefully and immediately after you consume any beverage or food detrimental to whiteners. You need to develop healthy oral hygiene to keep your teeth bright and white. Flossing is also encouraged by almost all dentists.

Using whitening toothpaste that is branded and promoted by dental health association to avoid surface staining and yellowing of teeth is particularly advised. You need to consider touch-up treatments depending on the method that has been used to whiten your teeth. There are products that advise touch up every 6 months other methods will require intervention after a year or two. Individuals addicted to smoking and drinking may require frequent touch ups to maintain the whiteness.

Most of the studies on teeth whitening reveal that using low doses of carbamide peroxide (within 10 %) has minimum or no effect on enamel hardness or mineral content of the teeth surface. Even if used for longer periods like over 10 years then the same composition and content does not harm the dental restoration or fillings.

This implies that existing restorations such as bonding, tooth-colored fillings, crowns, bridges and veneers are not affected adversely. But you might require replacing the pre exiting dental restoration to match the new shade of your teeth after applying bleaching.

Studies further emphasize that teeth whitening has no detrimental effects on tooth nerve. Studies have established that even after 7-10 years of using a teeth whitener none of the individuals in a pilot study required a root canal on any of the teeth. This seems to be quite assuring for those who require whitening their teeth desperately but are apprehensive about the consequences.