It’s an exciting day for both the doctor and patient when they see their final whitening results. Taking an “after” photo and putting it side by side with a “before” photo is a dramatic way to show off what has been accomplished. So, after taking those “after” photos, it is time to send the patient off on their merry way, never to discuss whitening again, right? Wrong!

Just like a car requires periodic maintenance to stay in top shape, so does keeping a bright smile. The KöR Maintenance program is designed to allow a patient to continue enjoying their favorite, and often staining, foods and beverages (which we all know they’re all going to do anyway), and still, keep their brilliant smile for a lifetime.

Simply put, we know that teeth darken with age. KöR Whitening can turn back the clock on a patient’s teeth, but the clock begins to tick again once they stop whitening. It is just a fact that all teeth will slowly regress without periodic care.

The KöR Long-Term Maintenance program involves simple, periodic whitening at home. Patients do not have to undergo the entire whitening protocol again because they have not built up the same amount of staining debris as they had before the first time they whitened (which for most people is a lifetime). Instead, whitening during maintenance only needs to remove staining debris that has accumulated since they last whitened. 

Most patients can maintain their white smile by whitening once per month at home. However, some patients with more stubborn conditions (such as Tetracycline staining) may require more of a customized maintenance program, based on their specific case and initial prescribed whitening protocol. 

In some cases, the KöR Accelerated Maintenance program is a recommended step for patients to maintain the results of their initial prescribed whitening protocol. Regression is common in whitening, but particularly prevalent in difficult cases, such as staining resulting from Tetracycline and/or Fluorosis. Accelerated maintenance, immediately following the active phase of whitening, helps to minimize whitening regression in ALL whitening cases and is something that should be discussed with every patient. After the patient has completed their initial prescribed treatment plan, the KöR Accelerated Maintenance would be implemented, which is essentially a gradual reduction of whitening occurring between the initial prescribed everyday whitening protocol and the eventual one night per month maintenance program.

It is important to discuss the overall whitening plan with every patient before they begin. The key to success is to not only achieve a great smile but to also keep it for a lifetime. The KöR maintenance program is the best way for patients to keep smiling as big as the first time they saw their results after completing their initial prescribed whitening protocol.