Dental bleaching is usually an effective method for brightening up smiles, but it will only work for you if you do it right. Here are a few mistakes that may mar up your dental bleaching attempts:

Choosing a Whitener Because It Worked For Your Friend

There are numerous types of teeth whitening products and some of them are designed for specific discolorations. Therefore, choosing a whitening product because it did wonders for a friend is not a good way to go about the process. What if your friend only had a few extrinsic (surface) stains from drinking too much tea but you have serious discoloration from the medications you are taking for a chronic condition?  If that is the case, then your friend might have benefited from a weaker bleaching product that might not help with your case.

Ignoring Aftercare Instructions

Another mistake you might make is to read the instructions for use and ignore the last part – the aftercare instructions.  Your dental bleaching treatment doesn't stop the moment you remove the bleach from your mouth and rinse your teeth. Remember that dental bleaching products work by passing through the tiny pores on your teeth to bleach the enamel. This means that your teeth will be particularly sensitive to discoloring agents in the days following the treatment. You need to avoid smoking and eating/drinking colored food in the days following your treatment if you don't want to reverse the gains.

Getting Dental Fillings Before Bleaching Your Teeth

This is a huge mistake because teeth bleaching products are formulated to work on natural teeth enamel; they won't work on synthetic materials such as those used to make fillings. Therefore, if you get dental crowns, fillings or bonding before bleaching your teeth, you may end up with discolored teeth. This is because the bleach will only work on your natural teeth and leave out the artificial treatments.

Using Ill-Fitting Trays

If you have opted for tray-whitening, then one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to use ill-fitting trays. This is because the trays are supposed to hold the bleaching agent as close to your teeth as possible and give the agent the chance to work on your teeth. If your trays don't have a proper fit, some of your teeth's surfaces may not come into contact with the bleaching product and will remain discolored. This is why its best to get custom trays from the dentist rather than use over the counter trays.

Talk to your dentist about zoom whitening for more options.