Foods to (Temporarily) Avoid After Professional Teeth Whitening

Professionally whitening your teeth at your dentist’s office can remove up to eight shades of stains and discoloration in about one hour, and at home in about two weeks. But while your treatment can easily deliver amazing results that are not possible with OTC whitening products, it is possible for your teeth to become discolored again in the initial days after treatment if you’re not careful.

To prevent new stains or discoloration from depositing on your teeth during this time, it is important to eat what is known as a “white” diet. Here are some safe-to-enjoy foods that qualify, and a few pointers on how to keep your newly whitened smile looking great for as long as possible!

Foods to Avoid Immediately After Professional Whitening

While it may be frustrating to avoid your favorite foods following your professional whitening treatment, the good news is that you only need to do it for two to three days until the pores in your teeth have time to close. You can also reduce sensitivity and help speed up this process by brushing with a sensitive toothpaste. This will also help replace lost minerals in your teeth that were eroded during the whitening process.

Dark Beverages

Any dark beverage, including tea, coffee, cola, juice, red wine, or sports drinks can deposit color in your vulnerable tooth enamel if you don’t give it a chance to reharden. Thus, it is important to avoid these for several days after treatment. However, keep in mind that dark beverages are often one of the main causes of tooth stains, so to make your results last even longer you may want to consider cutting them from your diet entirely.

Colorful Fruits and Vegetables

Yes, fruits and vegetables are great for you, but they aren’t always ideal following professional teeth whitening. A good rule of thumb to consider is if it stains a white t-shirt, it will stain your teeth. Therefore, avoid things like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and carrots for a few days, and opt instead for things like apples, bananas, pears and cucumbers until your teeth have a chance to rebound.

Citrus fruits may not stain your teeth as badly as berries, but because they are so acidic they can often cause painful sensitivity following professional whitening, so it is best to avoid any citrus fruits for a few days as well.

Artificial Coloring

Any food with colorful dyes like hard candies, red velvet cake, rainbow cereals, and festive frosting can leave behind color deposits on your teeth, so be sure to skip these for a few days, too. If you are whitening your teeth prior to a special event that could have this type of food on the menu, it is recommended that you whiten your teeth a few weeks before the date of the actual event. This will also allow you to time to move past the sensitive stage, so you’re able to enjoy yourself and the menu at your event!

Colorful Sauces

A good sauce can really tie a meal together, but it can also leave behind traces on your teeth. Thus, avoid things like curries, tomato-based sauces, soy or teriyaki sauce, or anything else that could stain your newly white teeth.

Green Light Goodies

Now that you know which foods can stain your smile, here are a few delicious dietary options that will help you maintain your beautiful results:

• Protein including eggs, chicken, white fish, and pork
• Noodles without sauce
• White potatoes
• Cream of wheat or plain oatmeal
• Milk, cheese, or plain yogurt
• Water

Remember, though your professional teeth whitening treatment can remove up to eight shades of discoloration, it is still possible to re-stain them in the first few days if you’re not careful. Thus, to keep your smile gleaming, stick to a white diet for two to three days after to protect your beautiful results for as long as possible!

About Our Practice

At LS Smiles, we know that having healthy, beautiful teeth and gums is important. That’s why we offer ADA approved professional whitening treatments both in-office and through a convenient take-home kit. If you have a special event coming up, or if you’d just like to get your teeth whiter, these treatments can remove up to eight layers of stains and discoloration.

To schedule a consultation for teeth whitening or any other cosmetic treatment with Dr. McNew or Dr. Stein, please visit our website or call us today at 972-771-2213.