Can I eat peanut butter after teeth whitening?
Can I eat Spinach after teeth whitening?
How long after teeth whitening can I eat normally?
For how long would I have to avoid coffee after teeth whitening?
You must have Googled these questions and more after your whitening treatment, right?
After paying for a professional teeth whitening treatment, you want your newly achieved bright smile to persist and carry long-lasting effects. The last thing you want is for your treatment to go to waste.
This article will help in answering all your questions and offer more tips. The first forty-eight hours after your whitening treatment are particularly crucial. During this time, be sure to follow aftercare instructions thoroughly if you want value for money for your whitening treatment.
How long after teeth whitening can I eat normally?
The first 48 hours after your whitening treatment are particularly crucial. During this time, be sure to follow aftercare instructions thoroughly if you want value for money for your whitening treatment. That is because, in those forty-eight hours, your teeth are extra prone to staining and plaque build-up. Post any whitening procedure your teeth, become porous. If you expose them to highly colored foods, they can easily absorb those color pigments and cause stains. Thus, the food you eat and the oral care routine you follow, all have to be adjusted to suit your new smile.
Consequently, it becomes essential to follow appropriate aftercare instructions for optimal results.
Here is the Ultimate Teeth Whitening Aftercare Tips one must keep in mind upon getting their teeth whitened:
Foods and Drinks to Avoid After Teeth Whitening
It’s crucial to learn what not to do after teeth whitening to prolong its result. Following are some everyday food and drinks that you must avoid during the 48 hours of teeth whitening. The alternate food and beverages which you can consume are also mentioned.
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Avoid Coffee and Tea
It’s difficult for most people to start their day without coffee or tea. But these drinks stain your teeth. So go for white beverages like milk and yogurt instead for a couple of days. Are you a fan of chamomile tea? In that case, you must be thinking, does chamomile tea stain teeth. Yes, it can!
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Avoid Dark Sauces
Yes, all the tangy and spicy sauces which add taste to your food are dark. But you need to avoid them for some time after teeth whitening. Swipe your soy, barbeque, and red pasta sauce with white sauces.
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Avoid Dark Chocolate
It’s “dark” chocolate! The name says it all. The caffeine in dark chocolates often stains teeth. If you can’t leave chocolates at all for even a day or two, ask your dentist about what kind of chocolate you can consume.
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Avoid Acidic Foods
Acidic foods may not directly stain the teeth, but they are not suitable for your enamel. And post-whitening, your enamel is sensitive for some time. So avoid sour and acidic food for 48 hours after teeth whitening.
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Keep away from tobacco
Cigarettes and tobacco products degrade the color of your whitened teeth, leading to staining and pigmentation. It is crucial to avoid these harmful products for a while, especially after your teeth whitening treatment to rescue your beautiful new smile from unpleasant stains.
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Avoid colored toothpaste and mouthwash
If your toothpaste is colored (red or blue, for example), make sure to switch to plain, white toothpaste. That is because, after teeth whitening, your teeth will be extra sensitive to staining. It would be best to stay away from colored mouthwashes as well for the next 48 hours.
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Avoid alcoholic drinks
One of the most common queries dentists get is, “can I drink beer after teeth whitening.” You must avoid any dark-colored alcoholic drinks post-whitening. You can drink vodka or gin with a straw. But beer and wine are prohibited. However, it’s best to refrain from any alcoholic drink for 48 hours post-whitening. If you want to consume alcohol, restrict to uncolored drinks with water or light mixers. These won’t directly affect the color of your newly whitened teeth post-treatment.
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Follow a healthy daily oral routine
Adhering to a wholesome oral care routine has invariably been an excellent habit. Managing one would help you sustain the results of your whitening treatment. You should include brushing and flossing twice a day, rinsing your mouth after a heavy meal, avoiding sugary treats late at night, and using special fluoride toothpaste.
Foods and Drinks you can Have After Teeth Whitening:
The White Diet
Dentists include the white diet for the first 48 hours in their teeth whitening aftercare instructions. Your teeth become slightly porous immediately after the whitening. Your dentin layer is also exposed for a brief period. Therefore food with strong acid and color can easily get absorbed into your teeth.
A white diet is the safest for this period as it doesn’t contain any strong dyes or pigments that can discolor your teeth. Some of the components of the white diet are as follows:
- Milk
- Potato in baked form
- Bananas and apples after peeling them off
- Water
- Dairy products like white cheese, cottage cheese, cream, plain yogurt, etc.
- Rice
- Flour tortillas
- Grilled chicken
- Tofu
- Oatmeal
- Cream of wheat
- Plain pasta in white sauce
- Fish
- White bread
Post Teeth Whitening Instructions: Do’s & Don’ts
Here’s a quick list of dos and don’ts of teeth whitening aftercare.
Do’s:
- Use straws as much as possible so that minimum drinks come in contact with your teeth.
- If you feel pain and discomfort, you can take OTC pain relievers of any good brand like ibuprofen.
- Use maintenance products like whitening toothpaste, fluoride-rich mouthwash, etc.
- Rinse your mouth after every meal to get rid of any food and drink residue.
- Floss once a day to protect your dental health.
Don’ts:
- Don’t eat or drink too hot or too cold food and beverages. Your teeth are sensitive for a few days post-whitening
- Don’t smoke or drink alcohol.
- Avoid using a home whitening kit post-professional teeth whitening.
- Don’t use any regular toothpaste instead of whitening toothpaste.
- Don’t cut down on brushing twice and flossing once a day.
Wrapping up!
In addition to these instructions, make sure to visit your dentist routinely for a lasting bright smile. Regular six-month cleanings, touch-up treatments, and dental exams are essential for the overall health of your teeth and mouth.
Sometimes touch-ups may be necessary because what you eat or drink is going to chip away at those results. A touch-up will restore that natural shine to your smile. These would help you keep away from oral health problems and maintain a consistently healthy and beautiful smile.
Dr. Anu Isaac, DMD, runs a successful dental practice in Salem, MA. Dr. Isaac strives for quality on a daily basis and this commitment to quality is reflected in her constant pursuit of advanced training. Her firm belief that even experts need to stay updated about what’s new in the dental field, enables her to provide every patient with optimal oral care. As the founder of Coral Dental Care, she is dedicated to creating healthy, beautiful smiles for her patients and also to educating dental and non-dental community with her engaging articles on all things related to oral health,recent dental innovations, and latest treatment modalities.