You might think caution isn’t needed around professional teeth whitening. After all, the treatment can brighten stained smiles in a single one-hour visit! Furthermore, it seldom causes any health-related side effects. That said, what’s there to fear? Well, the truth is that your teeth are more susceptible to staining post-whitening. As a result, you ought to stay away from certain foods for a while. Read on to learn four example products that you should hold off on.
4 Foods to Avoid
Following a whitening treatment, your teeth will be extra sensitive to staining from certain meals. Some foods you should avoid are:
Dark-Colored Fruits & Vegetables
You’d normally think fruits and vegetables are an ideal, healthy food choice. Just why would they be bad for your teeth? In fact, dark-colored ones have a lot of pigmentation. They can thus stain pearly whites and ruin your whitened smile.
Over the next week, try to limit your intake of berries, grapes, cherries, spinach, and dark leafy greens. If possible, find lighter-toned substitutes to eat instead.
Dark Sauces
As with dark-colored fruits and veggies, so too with dark sauces. In other words, these toppings can darken your smile if they reach enamel surfaces. Even worse, their stickiness means they often cling to teeth for extended periods.
Key examples in this group are tomato sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, and so on. That said, try to season your food with alternatives like salt or pepper for the time being.
Highly Acidic Foods
Acidic foods can hurt your tooth enamel even in the best times. However, that layer is especially vulnerable post-whitening due to the treatment’s bleaching ingredients. Certain organic acids could weaken further weaken it, leading to stains and increased sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.
Examples of these items include citrus fruits (i.e., lemons, limes, oranges), tomatoes, pineapples, pickled foods, and processed meats.
Foods with Dyes
Food dyes are especially likely to stain teeth after tooth whitening. Whether natural or artificial, they can seep into your chompers to turn them yellow, brown, or other colors.
Popular products in this category are popsicles, candies, flavored potato chips, and sports drinks.
Foods to Eat Instead
For a few days following your teeth whitening, try to base your diet around foods safe for whitened teeth. Consider the ones below:
- Rice
- Yogurt
- Scrambled eggs
- Bananas
- Coconut
- Bread
- Sushi
In time, you can re-introduce staining products back into your meals. Until then, though, you ought to wait on them; your smile will thank you for doing so!
About the Author
Dr. Lauri Barge is a dentist based in Flower Mound, TX, having earned her dental doctorate from Texas A&M’s College of Dentistry. Along with the rest of her team, her specialties are preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry, including emergency treatments when needed. She is also a certified provider of dental sedation and Invisalign clear aligners. Dr. Barge currently practices at her self-titled clinic and can be reached at her website or by phone at (972)-539-3800.