After your whitening treatment, you want to keep your teeth bright for as long as possible. What you eat and drink can impact the color of your teeth. As your local cosmetic dentist in Wayne, PA, we want to help you maintain your whitening results so you can have a bright smile for as long as possible. While we may recommend teeth whitening touch-ups, there are also certain foods and drinks you can avoid to keep your teeth white.
What to Avoid After Teeth Whitening in Wayne, PA
After you receive professional teeth whitening treatment, we recommend that you eat foods that are not prone to staining your teeth, like tofu, potatoes, or pasta with light sauce. Directly after your teeth whitening treatment, you should avoid:
Acidic Foods and Drinks
Consuming acidic foods can eventually wear down the outer tooth enamel. Eating acidic foods like pickles, tomatoes, and oranges or drinking sodas and acidic alcoholic drinks can open the pores in the teeth. Stains can enter pores in the teeth to change their color. Chromogens and tannins are more likely to stain the teeth.
Fruit and Vegetable Juices
Orange juice, apple juice, tomato juice, cranberry juice, and other types of fruit and vegetable juices can stain or darken the tooth enamel. These juices can be acidic or contain ingredients that contain chromogens. Chromogens are color compounds often found in dark foods and drinks that change the color of teeth.
Dark Sauces and Condiments
Soy sauce, tomato sauce, mustard, vinegar, and other sauces or condiments can stain the tooth enamel. Sticking to lighter, non-acidic sauces can lessen the chance of tooth stains.
Drinks Containing Tannins
Beverages like coffee, tea, and wine contain tannins, organic substances that can stain and yellow teeth. Wines are also highly acidic. Even if white wine is lighter, its acidity can contribute to discolored and darkened tooth enamel.
Being aware of what you eat and drink after teeth whitening treatment can ensure your results last. If you want to indulge in staining drinks, use a straw. Drink water regularly to wash away food debris and brush your teeth after eating potentially staining foods. Continue to brush and floss your teeth twice a day to make sure that you’re in good oral health and your teeth stay bright.
Let our office know if you have any questions about caring for your smile after your professional teeth whitening treatment. Call Wayne Family Dentistry today at 610-347-5133. You may also request a dental appointment with us on our website.