After you finish your professional whitening treatment, you may be excited to show off your refreshed smile. You got rid of the stains that bothered you, so you might already feel a bit more confident! However, it’s important to protect your teeth from any discoloration afterward. Your grin may be more susceptible to it for a few days, so here are some foods and drinks you should avoid for the time being.
1.) Acidic Items
When you eat acidic foods, they can wear down your enamel. As this happens, you increase your risk of stains, but also sensitivity to hot and cold things. Oranges, lemons, processed meats, and pickles are some options that you should steer clear of for the time being.
2.) Dark Sauces and Drinks
As you run your tongue across your teeth, you may feel how they are solid and smooth. However, they have tiny pores that dark pigments get stuck in! This is how you get the discoloration that bothers many people. Coffee, red wine, tea, tomato sauce, and mustard can find their ways into these places. They are harder to wash away, so keep them off your plate for a bit.
3.) Some Fruits and Vegetables
While fruits and vegetables are staples in a balanced diet, some of them are dark-colored. Beets, pomegranates, cherries, berries, spinach, and carrots can all cause stains if you eat them too often after your treatment. Choose other options like coconut or bananas if you want something sweet to eat still.
4.) Foods with Dyes
As you might be able to guess, like the options above, anything that has dyes can lead to the dulling of your smile. Sports drinks, popsicles, and candy can be a tasty treat, but they can cause trouble for your desired results. Instead, avoid them for the time being to keep your smile white.
In general, a good way to know if something is safe to eat after your teeth whitening is if it can stain a white shirt, then it can stain your grin! Try your best not to have any of these items above for just a few days, and then you can eat them a bit more afterward. During this time, keep to your dental hygiene routine and drink water if you have anything that can cause discoloration. That way, you do your best at preventing it.
About the Author
Dr. Michael Byars earned his dental degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. He is happy to help the community get the smiles they feel are their best with effective professional whitening. By working with you and your goals, Dr. Byars can come up with a plan that gets you to a bright set of teeth that you feel more confident in. If you want to know how you can care for your grin after your treatment, schedule an appointment or call his office at (816) 781-8222.