What you do at home is hands-down the most important part of your whitening journey. If you’re using a KöR system that combines at-home whitening with a follow-up whitening visit at your dentist’s office, remember this: the success of that final in-office whitening is 100% dependent on the effort you put in at home. If you skip steps or don’t stick with the nightly routine, the whitening at your dentist’s office won’t work—your results are in your hands.

Below you see written instructions, but it’s really the video you want to pay most attention to. Watch it once or twice before your first whitening so you know exactly what to do. Before your second and third whitening, watch it again and check if you missed anything on your previous tries—it helps make sure your technique is spot on and you’re not forgetting any important little details.

Here are the most important things to pay attention to, straight from Dr. Kurthy:

Tips for Whitening

• Don’t skip nights! Consistency is key.
• Fill the trays with gel just like it shows in the instructions—don’t guess.
• After you put the trays on, the gel will push the sides out a bit. Gently press the sides back so the tray seals right at your gumline.
• If you see just a tiny bit of gel squeeze out from under the tray edge, you’ve got it right. No gel? Add a bit more next time. Too much gel coming out? Use less next time.

Tips for Tooth Sensitivity

• When you use the KöR desensitizer, it’s super important that your saliva doesn’t touch your teeth before or while you apply the desensitizer. Saliva contaminates the desensitizer and keeps it from doing its job.
• Same goes for the cotton swab—don’t let saliva touch it, or you’ll contaminate the desensitizer.

The little details matter. Take your time with each step, keep up with your nightly routine, and don’t be afraid to double-check the video instructions. Doing all this will give you the best whitening results and make sure you’re comfortable—not dealing with extra sensitivity.