Just had your teeth whitened? Congratulations! You’re on your way to a brighter, whiter smile. But did you know that what you eat can impact the results of your treatment?
That’s right – certain foods can cause your teeth to become stained and discoloured again. To help you keep your newly whitened teeth looking their best, we’ve put together a list of “whitening-friendly” foods to eat (and avoid). So check it out and ensure you’re doing everything possible to maintain those beautiful pearly whites!
Why The White Diet?
Professional teeth whitening treatments make your teeth slightly more porous as the dentin layer becomes exposed temporarily. This allows easy absorption of acidic and dark-coloured foods, like soy sauce or even dark fruits, into your teeth, causing discolouration.
While this may seem concerning, it is easily avoidable. You must be the most cautious for the first 48 hours after your teeth whitening procedure.
Avoiding dark-coloured teeth-staining foods can help you keep your smile bright. The key is knowing exactly what foods to avoid and what to consume. As a rule of thumb, if it isn’t white or some shade close to it, better not to have it.
Egg, whites, white fish, white bread and cheeses are the kinds of light-coloured foods you need to stick with. Dark tea, dark chocolate and red meat? These are the ones you avoid.
What To Eat
Adopting the white diet doesn’t have to change lifestyle completely. You must avoid food products that are known or likely to stain teeth. Here’s a list of some of the foods you can eat after a teeth whitening without risking any stains.
Lean Protein
Chicken, fish and tofu are some of your best options after getting a teeth whitening treatment, as opposed to red meat, which you should avoid eating. As long as you avoid all vibrant seasonings and coloured sauces, you’re good to go.
Pasta, Rice & Bread
Grains are white-diet-friendly as long as they don’t contain molasses or food colouring. These are added to pasta and bread to give them a darker colour. You can check for them in the ingredients and add them to your diet if the teeth-staining compounds are absent.
Yogurt & White Cheese
The sweetened yogurt and artificially coloured cheese will do you no good. Pick natural and fresh dairy products, and they’ll work the best with this diet.
Water
Water is the perfect beverage, not just for the white diet but for your complete oral hygiene. Following a teeth whitening procedure, water helps keep your oral cavity hydrated and also helps wash away possible staining substances. So skip the fruit juices and fizzy drinks, and grab your water bottle.
What Not To Eat
Now you know what to eat after teeth whitening, it’s not hard to keep track of all the things you shouldn’t. But to make it easier, here are a few things you must avoid.
Candies & Chocolates
These refined sugars will not only cause discolouration to your newly whitened teeth but also cause them to decay. Since your teeth are likely very sensitive following the whitening procedure, it is better to steer clear of such confectionaries.
Tea & Coffee
Given the dark colour of these warm beverages, it is easy to guess that they are better avoided. Coffee and tea both contain Tannin that can render your teeth discoloured.
However, some people may find themselves addicted to their daily dosage of tea or coffee and find it hard to go even a day without it. If you must have these beverages, try using a straw to minimise contact with your teeth.
Wine
Red and even white wine can be harmful after a whitening procedure, albeit in different ways. Red wine does its damage with its highly acidic nature and dark colouration, while white wine does harm by further breaking down the enamel of the teeth.
Carbonated Drinks
This one is a no-brainer. Soft drinks are not suitable for oral health, even without a teeth whitening procedure. Not only are they loaded with compounds that can heavily stain your teeth, but they also cause considerable damage to the structure of your teeth in general.
Habits To Make and Break
Other than the food you eat, you must avoid a few habits to get the best out of teeth whitening procedures. Smoking is one of them. Nicotine is notorious for leaving tough stains on teeth and causing several oral health diseases. Therefore, it is a habit you abandon for good.
It is always recommended to get in the habit of going to your dentist for regular checkups. Teeth whitening procedures may sometimes lead to gum irritation that your dentist can help you deal with while guiding you about better and proper care of your oral health following the procedure.
Wrapping It Up
The white diet isn’t very restricting, considering you only need to follow it for about two to three days. As long as you stick to lighter-coloured foods and avoid foods that are dark-stained, your smile will be brighter than ever!
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
References
White Diet: Is It Necessary During Tooth Whitening
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25748208/
Top 10 Teeth-Staining Foods
https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/teeth-staining-foods
Tooth whitening: what we now know
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1532338214000499
Smoking’s Effect on Teeth
https://www.healthline.com/health/smokers-teeth