What Should You Avoid After Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is a cosmetic dental procedure that aims to remove discoloration of your teeth and give you a bright smile. Dentists recommend particular foods for the first 72 hours after whitening your teeth. For instance, you won’t enjoy your white smile for long if you drink a lot of caffeine. After a tooth whitening procedure, patients should be cautious about the food they consume and some habits like smoking. Here is what you should do and what not to do after teeth whitening:
What To Avoid After Teeth Whitening
After undergoing a teeth whitening procedure, avoiding some foods and drinks would be best as they may easily tint your smile. During the treatment, cosmetic dentists apply whitening gel on your enamel to bleach tough stains. During this time, the gel permeates the enamel your teeth. As a result, your teeth can stain easily. With that, let’s look at what to avoid after teeth whitening:
Avoid Colored Drinks:
For the first 48 hours after teeth whitening, your teeth are prone to staining, and you should therefore avoid colored drinks like:
- Red wine
- Coffee
- Tea
- Smoothies
- Colored Juices
- Soups
- Colored sauce, for instance, tomato sauce
The drinks may discolor your teeth. However, if drinking them is inevitable, you should use a straw so that the drink doesn’t come into direct contact with your teeth.
Avoid Colored Foods That May Stain
Dentists recommend avoiding certain greasy foods to avoid tainting your newly-whitened teeth. Other foods to avoid after teeth whitening include:
- Mangoes
- Kiwi
- Plums
- Strawberries
- Red meat
- Raspberries
- Tomatoes
- Spices that cause stains, e.g., turmeric and paprika
Avoid Sugary Foods and Acidic Foods
Acidic foods may corrode or weaken your enamel. For example, foods with sugar add bacteria to your teeth and may cause them to decay with time. Additionally, foods with artificial sugar, like ice cream, often have a color that can stain your teeth. Also, it would help if you avoided chewy foods like gum as they may stick to your teeth and alter them. Examples of these foods include:
- Chocolate
- Ice cream
- Candy
- Vinegar
- Lime
- Sodas
- Lemon
Avoid Cigarettes and Tobacco Products
Cigarette smoke and tobacco stains can taint your teeth easily due to the high nicotine concentration. In addition, it is known that cigarette and tobacco smokers can’t maintain white teeth and often need touch-ups after whitening. Therefore, the best solution for tobacco smokers who’ve just had their teeth whitened is to refrain from using tobacco products.
Dental Products That May Stain
Although dental hygiene products are meant to clean your teeth, you should avoid colored mouth cleaners during the first two days after undergoing teeth whitening. It would help if you used white toothpaste and colored mouth cleaners after your dentist gives you the go-ahead. So, avoid using blue or coal mouthwash after the procedure. On that note, look for fluoride toothpaste, as it eliminates sensitivity.
Don’t Take Too Hot or Too Cold Drinks and Foods
After undergoing the teeth whitening procedure, your teeth are susceptible. Hence taking extremely hot or cold drinks and foods may aggravate the sensitivity.
Avoid Skipping Your Oral Care
Remember your post-treatment dental care. First, brush your teeth twice daily. Next, brush your tongue and floss regularly. Finally, if you feel any sensitivity, take some ibuprofen to reduce the discomfort.
Safe Foods To Eat After Teeth Whitening
After undergoing a teeth-whitening procedure, the following foods are safe to eat:
- Milk
- Rice
- Egg
- Fish
- Potatoes
- Plain Yogurt
- Bread