Aside from brushing beforehand (assuming your teeth are in good shape) you don’t need to worry about preparing too much for your teeth whitening. Supposing you’ve got your teeth whitening done though you’re probably curious what foods you can eat afterwards.
However, ensure your teeth whitening process goes smoothly though first. While the effectiveness of some teeth whitening take-home kits varies, teeth whitening by a dentist will always be done properly and professionally.
In fact, New Look Dental has a special on teeth whitening right now for just $79.00 (normally $199.00)! Just keep in mind if you’re a new patient, legally there needs to be a spec exam before your teeth are whitened which is an additional $40.00.
Circling back to food, it does matter what you decide to eat in the next forty-eight hours. This is because your teeth, ironically, have a higher susceptibility to staining after your teeth whitening.
What Stains Your Teeth?
While your teeth are resistant to many substances, there are three major ones that are known to stain your teeth: chromogens, tannins, and acids. Unfortunately, these are found in many common foods so you might be eating some of these without even realizing.
This is where the “White Shirt Rule” comes in to help you decide when you’re not sure.
If it would stain a white shirt, don’t eat or drink it.
Smoking is also a bad idea and should be avoided in the twenty-four hours after teeth whitening. E-cigarettes are okay to use but should be done so sparingly. However, smoking causes a whole host of oral health problems and should be kicked as a habit altogether, especially if you want to have whiter teeth.
What Foods Should I Avoid Eating After a Teeth Whitening?
Although the “White Shirt Rule” is a good place to start, we’ve compiled a list of some of the major foods you should avoid eating below:
- Coffee – Unfortunately, yes, you’re going to have to give up waking up with this for a little while due to its acidic nature. If you just can’t live without it, add more milk and limit yourself to two cups per day.
- Tea – We swear we’re not trying to ruin your morning routine. Dark tea, believe it or not, is actually worse for staining your teeth than coffee. Follow the same advice above if you just can’t get through the day without it.
- Wine – This goes for both red and white versions. While red wine’s acidity and dark colours make it a naturally bad choice, white wine’s acidic levels will weaken your teeth to stain more easily from other common foods.
- Dark Fruits – Their colour and acidity naturally make them bad choices to chow down on after teeth whitening.
- Curry – Just like how it stains your pots and pans the same will be true for your teeth.
While those are some of the major ones here are a few more you might not think of:
- Carbonated drinks
- Fruit juice
- Sweets and chocolate
- Tomato sauce
What Foods Can You Eat After Teeth Whitening?
Look up the ‘white diet’ for more ideas of what you can eat, but the ones below are a good place to start:
- Chicken/Turkey – Acid-free, healthy, and delicious—both offer flexible options to make meals with.
- Fish – Generally okay to eat, although you’re going to want to stay away from darker fish. Consider lighter fish like albacore.
- Rice – Light, filling, and pairs great with many options on this list.
- Pasta – As long as you’re not using a tomato or pesto sauce with it, pasta is a-okay to pair with your meals.
- White Cheese – Mozzarella, Havarti, and swiss cheese add nicely to many items on this list and won’t stain your teeth.
- Eggs Whites – Avoid the yoke if you’re making any egg dishes.
- Potatoes – White potatoes are okay but avoid baking and red ones to avoid any stains.
- White bread – Remove the crust and you’re good to go.
- Bananas – Light and healthy, bananas are a great choice for a snack.
- Yoghurt – White yoghurt is okay but avoid any kinds that have colouring in them.
- Porridge – If you have to add some kind of sugar, use a sweetener. Otherwise this is a great option to get you through the morning.
Although it can be challenging to adjust your diet, you only need to do so for forty-eight hours. Stick to it and you can reap the rewards of shiny, pearly white teeth.