Things Not To Do After Teeth Whitening This Christmas

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By Advanced Family Dentistry
December 12, 2022

Having your teeth whitened this Christmas is one of the most common things you want to do. It is a quick, simple, and effective way to get the white smile you’ve always wanted. It would help if you were careful about what you eat for the first 72 hours after whitening your teeth. After this first time, you can go back to your normal routine. But it’s easy to see why you might want to get as much use out of a teeth-whitening procedure as possible. You should try to avoid some things as much as possible if you want your professional teeth whitening to last as long as possible.

This blog will tell you what not to do after getting your teeth whitened so that you can keep your beautiful smile for as long as possible.

What Not To Do After Teeth Whitening?

As teeth whitening is a fairly simple and easy process, it is easy to forget that you are in a post-treatment period. People often believe that getting their teeth whitened by a professional can make their teeth get even more stained. This is not true in the way most people think, which is that you will have to get treatments more often. 

But after you get your teeth whitened, foods and drinks with dark pigments will stain your teeth more easily. The dentist uses a high-strength whitening gel and opens your teeth’s “pores,” or tubules, during the teeth-whitening process. This gel gets into the tooth enamel and bleaches stains that are hard to eliminate. So, if you just had your teeth whitened, be careful about what you eat and drink for a while. At this stage, these pores will be more likely to get stained.

Here Are Some Food Ideas To Stay Away From:

Don’t Drink Colored Drinks, Which Stain!

The most important time after teeth whitening is the first two to three days. Your teeth will easily get dirty. During this time, you shouldn’t drink anything that could stain your teeth after whitening them. These things are:

  • Tea
  • Coffee,
  • Fruit juice
  • Smoothies
  • Beer
  • Tomato juice
  • Colored pasta sauce like tomato sauce

The colors in these drinks are very bright and can easily stain your teeth. Make sure to use a straw if you want to keep drinking some of these drinks after the first time. This will keep these liquids from directly contacting the front of the teeth.

Don’t Eat Foods With Colors That Might Stain

Like the drinks we already discussed, some foods can stain your teeth. Acidic foods, greasy foods, and anything with bright artificial food coloring will damage or stain the natural tooth enamel. Check out the list of foods below, and don’t eat them right after getting your teeth whitened.

  • Black chocolate
  • Chocolate milk
  • Red meats
  • Mango
  • Kiwi
  • Plum
  • Blueberries
  • Blackberries
  • Raspberries
  • Tomatoes
  • Carrots
  • Spinach
  • Beet

The foods and drinks on the list above will stain your teeth even if you don’t do anything to whiten them. When the teeth have been whitened, their effects will be worse. With these staining agents, they are more likely to get stained and do so more easily.

So, when deciding what not to eat, think of anything that could leave a stain on white surfaces that won’t come out. The so-called “white shirt” test is a method that dentists often suggest. Think of foods or drinks that could make a white shirt dirty. It would help if you stayed away from foods like these for the first few days after whitening your teeth.

Don’t Eat Foods That Are Acidic Or Sweet

After whitening your teeth, you should also avoid acidic and sugary foods. As we said above, whitening makes your teeth’s tubules or “pores” weaker. Even more, sugar and acidic foods will do damage to the enamel. The sugar in these foods hurts the way the teeth are made, so you should stay away from them. They could cause bacteria that cause cavities to grow on the teeth, which can cause pain and stains. Foods like candy or ice cream with added sugar also have food coloring. If you avoid chewy foods, the damage risk will also decrease. If the chewy food gets stuck on the surface of the teeth, it could stain them. It can also hurt the surface of teeth that have just been through a chemical process. Avoid foods that are too acidic, too sweet, and too chewy.

Some foods to avoid that are sweet, chewy, and acidic are:

  • Cookies
  • Ice cream
  • Candy
  • Toffee
  • Orange
  • Lemon
  • Lime
  • Soft drinks & dark sodas

Cigarettes And Other Things Made With Tobacco

Some of the most common things that stain teeth are cigarette smoke and other tobacco products. They are especially likely to stain your teeth right after you have had your teeth whitened. Patients who use tobacco say they must touch up their teeth whitening treatment more often because of stains. Stopping smoking or chewing tobacco will be the best way to keep your teeth from getting stained. This way, you can not only keep your teeth white for longer, but you can also avoid many other health risks that come with smoking.

Products For Dental Care That Could Stain

It may surprise you, but some dental products can stain teeth. If you use colored toothpaste or mouthwash, you might want to skip them for a few days after getting your teeth whitened. If you want to know what colors the product could stain, they could be blue, red, purple, orange, or black (in coal toothpaste). It would be best to stick to white or clear dental products for the best results.

Fluoride could be something else to look out for in your toothpaste. Fluoride can help make your teeth less sensitive and keep them white.

Having Food Or Drinks That Are Too Hot Or Too Cold

After whitening their teeth, many people make the mistake of eating or drinking things that are too hot or cold. People usually expect their teeth to be sensitive after whitening them. During this time, you should avoid anything that might be too hot or too cold. Some people’s teeth might not be able to handle temperatures above lukewarm.

Don’t Forget About Brushing And Flossing Your Teeth

First, you should brush and floss your teeth. Brush gently for two minutes twice or three times daily, and floss daily. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and toothpaste that doesn’t scratch your teeth. You can choose between toothpaste for sensitive teeth and toothpaste with fluoride.

Don’t Forget About Aftercare And Surgery

A study shows that fluoride, fractional CO2 laser, and nano hydroxyapatite are all good ways to treat teeth after they have been whitened. After the whitening process, treatment with nano hydroxyapatite shows the least amount of color loss. Nanohydroxyapatite is a very fine powder made of hydroxyapatite. It is used to help remineralization when mixed with other materials. Other treatments focusing on making the bleached enamel harder also help keep stains from getting into the tooth.

Don’t Forget To Do These Things When You Eat And Drink

After the first few days of taking care of your whitened teeth, you can eat a wider range of foods. Some foods can help the teeth-whitening process work better. For example, eating more dairy products or other calcium-rich foods will make your teeth stronger and whiter at the same time. Fruits and vegetables that are crunchy are other examples. 

Eating crunchy foods like apples, celery, and carrots, help get rid of stains on the surface of your teeth. Before the stains can stick, they brush them away. The amount of saliva you also make increases when you eat these foods. Saliva also cleans and moistens the teeth, which helps protect them from the effects of acids. Just make sure to drink a little water after eating any of these foods that are darker in color. This will get rid of any stains they might make. This method can be used to drink any colored liquid. You can also chew sugar-free gum when you can’t drink water or brush your teeth right away. This can also help you avoid getting stained.

Forgetting To Go Back To The Dentist Regularly

Don’t forget to return to your dentist’s office for follow-up care after your treatment. After your teeth have been whitened, your dentist may want to keep an eye on them to ensure everything is going well. This can also help them give specific advice at each step after treatment. It would help if you also kept up with your regular dental checkups to ensure your teeth are healthy and there are no problems.

So What Can I Eat And Drink After I Whiten My Teeth?

With all the information we’ve given you, you might be wondering what foods and drinks you can safely eat and drink after getting your teeth whitened. We can tell you some foods and drinks that won’t make your teeth yellow. A good rule of thumb is to stick to foods and drinks that are lighter in color during this time. For the first few days of your whitening treatment, many dentists suggest that you follow the so-called “white diet.” As we already said, this diet says to stay away from acidic and brightly colored foods and drinks. Making sure your results last longer, the first few days, are very important.

There are:

  • Whitefish (such as cod, tilapia, haddock, etc.)
  • White Rice
  • Plain yogurt
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Tofu
  • Pasta (light-colored) (light-colored)
  • Oatmeal
  • Cereal that doesn’t have any added colors
  • Whites of eggs
  • Potatoes

You can drink:

  • Water
  • Milk
  • Coconut juice
  • Coconut milk

White wine is made from grapes (although the alcohol still might irritate at this stage)

After your treatment, you can safely eat and drink the above things for the first few days. After this time, you can add other foods and drinks to your diet as you normally would. Keep reading to find out what to do after the first few days of healing.

Conclusion

Professional teeth whitening is usually a safe and easy process that can make a big difference in your appearance. White teeth are one sign of a pretty face and can make a great first impression on the rest of the world. After getting your teeth whitened by a dentist, there are some things you shouldn’t do. This means that you can keep your results for a longer time.

After whitening your teeth, you should avoid colored foods and drinks for a few days. During this early period, the colored foods and drinks will stain your teeth and undo some of the work done by the teeth-whitening process. After the first few days, your teeth’ pores will close, and you can return to eating your favorite foods. You should also avoid foods that are too hot or too cold, too acidic, or too sweet. 

Acidic and sugary foods could damage the surface of your teeth and make bacteria that cause cavities to grow. After this first period, you can return to normal habits, but you should use a straw when drinking acidic drinks. But if you keep doing some of these things after this time, it will be good for your teeth.

What shouldn’t I do after I’ve had my teeth whitened?

4 things you shouldn’t do after getting your teeth whitened
Don’t drink drinks that are colored. After your whitening treatment, you should stay away from drinks with strong colors like:
Don’t eat things that leave marks.
Don’t buy or use tobacco.
Avoid dental hygiene products that are colored.

When Can You Normally Eat Again After Getting Your Teeth Whitened?

It won’t take long, and in 24 to 72 hours, you should be able to eat normally again. Avoid hard, rough foods as much as possible since they can damage your enamel and cause bacteria to grow and stains to form.

When You Whiten Your Teeth And How Long Do The Pores Stay Open?

After getting your teeth whitened, follow the White Diet for 24 to 48 hours. Once the pores have closed, which usually takes between 24 and 48 hours after the procedure, you can return to your routine.

How Soon Can I Drink Water After Having My Teeth Whitened?

This can change the color of your teeth, so it’s best to wait 30 minutes before eating or drinking after teeth whitening.