If you think that all you need to do to get your teeth whitened is to keep applying whitener, then chances are your level of success isn't going to be as high as you'd like. There are a number of things you need to do prior to starting the teeth whitening process, in order to have the best chance of success. You can do some of them at home, but others are related to your dental health history.

So here are some of the things you should consider doing before going ahead with teeth whitening:

- Have all your cavities treated. Any untreated cavities can be aggravated and irritated by the teeth whitening chemicals. Ouch!

- Make sure any receding gums issues are dealt with before commencing teeth whitening, so that you don't harm any exposed roots.

- If you have crowns or veneers, you basically can forget about the process of teeth whitening.

Now that you have all your major dental issues cleared up, you're much closer to beginning the teeth whitening process. Now you need to think about some other dental health processes that you should take care of at home, before you start any teeth whitening process.

- Brush regularly! We all know that's what we should be doing, but if you seriously want to whiten your teeth, be extremely thorough about it. Brush after every meal, and allow plenty of time to brush properly.

- Get into the habit of flossing at least twice a day. If you can do it after every meal, that's even better. Flossing stops food scraps from building up and causing exposed roots. The acid in foods causes receding gums, and brushing doesn't remove everything.

- Using mouthwash regularly helps to stop bacteria and acids from building up, which prevents tooth decay and receding gums. You may think you're overdoing things to add mouthwash to your dental health regime as well, but the cleaner your mouth, the easier the process of teeth whitening will become.

Although reading all these points may make you think that it's all too hard, stick with it. Teeth whitening doesn't really take much extra work, and with proper maintenance, the effects can last a long time. Stick to the steps above, and you'll find that teeth whitening can be a truly rewarding experience!