Achieving your dream smile through professional teeth whitening adds a glamorous touch to dental care. However, maintaining this brightness requires ongoing care.
Choosing the right foods helps prevent teeth from staining and promotes comfort.
After your treatment, your teeth may feel sensitive. Opt for room-temperature food and drink, and avoid consuming things that are too sweet, acidic, hot, or cold.
In the first 48 hours post-whitening, your teeth are more vulnerable to stains. Choose foods that are light in color, like white rice, yogurt, and bananas, and avoid dark and acidic food & drink.
All About Professional Teeth Whitening
Dental teeth whitening is a cosmetic treatment designed to brighten your teeth by removing stains and discoloration.
Unlike a regular dental cleaning, which focuses on removing plaque and tartar buildup, a whitening appointment specifically targets the color of your teeth by applying an agent that breaks down stains to lighten the shade of your enamel.
The main purpose of teeth whitening is to brighten smiles, not treat dental concerns. However, feeling happy and confident in your smile may encourage you to be more mindful about routine brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups, improving overall oral health.
Nonetheless, it is crucial to understand that teeth whitening should not replace regular dental cleanings and exams, but can be complementary to them in achieving a healthy, beautiful smile.
Many of our patients are diligent in oral care and hygiene, yet still visit us for professional whitening. Despite regular brushing and flossing, it’s common to notice a slight yellow tint to your teeth.
Several factors contribute to this discoloration, the biggest being our teeth aren’t naturally white!
Beneath the tooth’s enamel is a yellowish layer called the dentin, which significantly affects the overall color of teeth. The thickness of enamel can make the underlying dentin more visible, causing teeth to appear less white.
Additional factors include:
- Genetics, some people may have a naturally darker shade of dentin than others.
- Lifestyle habits, such as consuming coffee, tea, red wine, or tobacco, can lead to external staining over the years
- Certain medications and health conditions can also affect tooth color.
There are two main types of stains:
- Extrinsic stains: These occur on the outer surface of the teeth and are usually caused by food, drink, and smoking.
- Intrinsic stains: These are deeper stains within the tooth and can result from medication or tooth trauma.
While at-home whitening kits can tackle surface stains, professional whitening reaches deeper layers, offering more effective results.
What to Eat After Teeth Whitening
It’s common to experience tooth sensitivity after this treatment, as the process makes your teeth more responsive to hot, cold, sweet, or acidic stimuli. This sensitivity is short-lived and subsides in a few days.
In the meantime, opt for gentle foods:
- Soft foods: Include items like yogurt, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, tofu, and white rice, which are less likely to aggravate sensitivity.
- Room temperature foods: Consuming food that is neither too hot nor too cold can minimize discomfort.
To maintain the brightness of your smile, consume foods that are light in color and acidity, like:
- White meats and fish: Chicken, turkey, and white fish are excellent protein sources that are light in color, making them less likely to stain your teeth.
- Dairy products: Milk, yogurt, and cheese are low in pigmentation and help to neutralize acids in the mouth, creating an environment less prone to staining.
- White rice and pasta: These foods are nearly colorless and can be paired with plain white sauces or seasonings for flavor without the risk of staining.
- Bananas and apples: These fruits are relatively low-risk for staining because of their light color, and apples, in particular, have natural abrasiveness that can assist in cleaning your teeth as you chew.
- Water: Staying hydrated with water helps rinse away residue and reduces the risk of stains from other foods and drinks.
You’ll want to steer clear of foods and beverages that could stain your newly whitened teeth for at least 48 hours to protect your smile. Here’s what to avoid:
- Dark drinks: Coffee, tea, and red wine are notorious for staining teeth. Even one cup can dull your smile.
- Acidic foods: Citrus fruits and vinegar-based dressings can weaken enamel, making it easier for stains to set in.
- Colorful sauces: Tomato sauce, soy sauce, and curries are rich in pigmentation and can quickly stain your teeth.
To our iced coffee enthusiasts, drinking your coffee with a straw helps minimize the risk of staining. However, even a straw can’t entirely prevent the acidic nature of coffee from affecting your teeth.
In the first 48 hours post-whitening, your teeth are more vulnerable to stains due to the temporary weakening of the enamel.
To preserve your results, it is recommended to avoid high-pigmented food and drink altogether during this period and prioritize rinsing your mouth with water to help wash away residue.
Maintaining a Bright Smile
Keeping your smile bright doesn’t end at our treatment suite. Maintaining your bright new smile helps preserve the effects of your whitening, making the most of your visit with us.
- Regular brushing and flossing: Continue practicing good oral hygiene by brushing twice a day and flossing daily. Use a whitening toothpaste to help maintain the shade.
- Rinsing after meals: Rinsing your mouth with water after eating and drinking can help wash away potential staining agents.
- Avoid tobacco products: Smoking and chewing tobacco can cause significant discoloration, so it’s best to avoid them for a lasting white smile.
Depending on your maintenance, lifestyle, and care, the effects of most professional teeth whitening systems can last from six months to two years, emphasizing the importance of aftercare. At The Ivory Dental Co., we use the KöR whitening system. You can maintain your KöR results for a lifetime with at-home once-a-month maintenance.
While it might be tempting to get frequent whitening treatments, it’s important to space them out to avoid tooth sensitivity and enamel damage.
Schedule a Consultation
Maintaining your bright, beautiful smile is holistic. It includes being mindful of your lifestyle, diet, and oral hygiene to preserve the whitening benefits of your treatment.
Connect with our team at The Ivory Dental Co. to schedule your teeth whitening consultation.
