Instructions for Your At-Home Whitening

Your at-home whitening works little by little, application after application. The key to the result is consistency and using the gel exactly as we instructed. This guide will walk you through the whole treatment.

Your Whitening Kit

You received trays custom-made to fit your teeth and syringes of whitening gel. This gel is for professional use: use it only as instructed and keep it out of the reach of children.

Important: the gel concentration and wear time are personalized. Always follow the time and days Dr. Jesara López gave you at your appointment — not “a little longer so it works faster.” Using it more doesn’t whiten more: it only increases sensitivity.

How to Apply the Gel Step by Step

Before putting in your trays

1. Brush your teeth and floss. The gel works best on clean teeth.
2. Lightly dry the trays if they’re wet.

Application

1. Place a small drop of gel on the front surface of each tooth inside the tray (about one third of the front of the tooth). Don’t fill it: the excess doesn’t help and can irritate your gums.
2. Bring the tray to your mouth and seat it with light finger pressure. Don’t bite down hard to seat it.
3. If gel oozes out at the edges, wipe off the excess with a clean finger, a cotton swab or a soft brush. The gel should stay on the tooth, not on the gum.
4. Wear the trays for the indicated time, then remove them.

After each application

1. Remove the trays and rinse your mouth with water.
2. Gently brush your teeth to remove any leftover gel.
3. Wash the trays with cold water and a soft brush, without toothpaste. Dry them and store them in their case.

Never use hot water on the trays: they warp and lose the fit that makes them work.

White Diet During Treatment

Unlike in-office whitening, here the enamel stays receptive during the entire treatment, not just a few days. Watch out for pigments for as long as it lasts and up to 48 hours after your last application.

Golden rule: ‘If it can stain a white shirt, it can stain your teeth.’

Avoid or limit: coffee, tea, red wine, cola, dark sauces (soy, mole), red berries, beets and drinks with artificial coloring.

Choose: water, milk, chicken, fish, rice, pasta without dark sauces, bread, potatoes, bananas, peeled apples.

If you drink coffee or tea, use a straw and rinse with water afterward. And very important: don’t smoke during treatment — tobacco stains right when the tooth is most receptive.

Sensitivity: What’s Normal and What’s Not

It’s normal to feel mild sensitivity to cold during treatment. To manage it:

• Use desensitizing toothpaste throughout the treatment.
• Avoid very cold or very hot foods and drinks.
• If sensitivity increases, take a day off between applications (every other day). The final result is the same.

Stop using it and contact us if: the sensitivity is strong or doesn’t ease with rest, you feel a sharp pain in a tooth, or you notice your gums are very irritated.

If Your Gums Get Irritated

If you notice a white line or burning on the gum, it’s almost always from too much gel. It clears up on its own within a few hours. At your next application, use less gel and wipe off the excess well. If the irritation lasts more than a day, contact us.

Take Care of Your Gel and Trays

• Store the gel syringes in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight (or in the refrigerator if you were told to; never in the freezer).
• Don’t share your trays: they’re custom-made for your teeth.
• Keep your trays when you finish the treatment. You can use them for future touch-ups — you’ll only need new gel.

Results and Maintenance

The change is gradual: you’ll notice the difference by comparing against your starting shade, not day by day. When you finish the treatment:

• Impeccable hygiene — Brush 3 times a day and floss. A clean mouth stays whiter.
• Professional cleaning — Schedule a dental cleaning every 6 months to remove surface stains.
• Touch-ups — With your trays saved, a periodic touch-up with gel is quick and affordable.

Myths and Facts

Myth: The more hours I wear the trays, the faster and whiter. False. Wearing them longer only increases sensitivity. The shade is achieved through consistency, not excess.

Myth: I can fill the trays with drugstore whiteners. Not recommended. Unsupervised gels can damage enamel and gums. Use only the gel we gave you.

Myth: If I skip a day, I lose my progress. No. If you can’t apply it one day (or you take a break because of sensitivity), just continue the next day.