“How do I whiten my teeth once my braces come off?”

In-office whitening can be done in one visit, take home whitening trays that are custom made and managed by yourself at home or something OTC from your local retailers.

The best is to have a dental professional help you whiten your teeth. You can try ovet the counter toothpaste, although I do not think they are the most effective. Whitening strips are not worth the money usually. They help, but cost much more over time to do than having a dentist whiten professionally.

This is not going to sound right, but I think you will see after about two months of brushing your teeth with a normal fluoride toothpaste maybe with extra whitening you'll find that the colors will be blended more harmoniously. Then you can add whitening if you desire with any kit over-the-counter at the drugstore, which is usually 2% peroxide.

Sorry for the delay, but there are several options for teeth whitening after braces are removed. I would suggest a good cleaning and then the whitening options can be to do an in office Zoom whitening or take home trays with whitening gel. I would suggest calling the office and setting an appointment to discuss which is the best whitening option for you.

You should consult with your dentist to see which method would be best in your situation. There are products such as OTC white strips that may work or you may need professional take-home or in-office products. Whatever the dentist determines would work for your situation, he/she will need to do a thorough cleaning first.

Over the counter medications for whitening have a concentration of around 2 to 3% peroxide which is the chief additive come, however your dentist can use as much as 32% with or without ultraviolet acceleration, depending on the condition of your teeth and the additional benefit I'm supervising do whitening experience to control hypersensitivity from overuse which is a common problem

This is a good question and a common problem. Maintaining good hygiene, while wearing braces can be a constant issue. Often, when braces are removed, patients notice discoloration, often in an outline of where the bracket was bonded on. You can either do in-office bleaching, use trays and apply the bleach yourself, or do both. Doing both will probably get the best results. You may not be able to completely resolve and get perfect blending of color, but it will be a great improvement.

One of the best ways to whiten your teeth after your braces come off is to use your clear vac type retainers, which are delivered to you when your braces come off, and simply place a drop of bleaching solution into each tooth area you want to bleach, and use as instructed by the bleach brand you decide to use. You can request these clear aligner type retainers from your orthodontist. In a few days, you should have whiter teeth, depending on how many shades of whitening you desire and manufacturers recommendations. Also, you may opt for the in office whitening procedure, with the light, which will whiten your teeth a few shades in a couple of hours, followed up with home bleaching. Less expensive ways to whiten your teeth include whitening toothpastes, rinses, gum, rubbed on ointments. 
Good luck and congrats on getting your braces off!

Daniel A. Flores, DDS, MS