Teeth whitening is one of the most in-demand and popular cosmetic dental procedures. It is a fast, easy, and effective way to achieve the white and bright smile of your dreams. However, to get the most results from this treatment and to prolong the effect of teeth whitening, it is crucial to be mindful of the 72 hours after your treatment. To do that, here are certain things your dentist might recommend avoiding during your recovery stage post-procedure.
Coloured Drinks That Stain
Post procedures, at least for three days, your teeth have high sensitivity to staining. So it’s always best to avoid drinking anything that can cause staining during this time. Red wine, tea, coffee, fruit juice, smoothies, beer, and tomato juice are some drinks that have strongly pigmented colours that can easily stain the teeth. If you have a strong urge to drink these, use a straw. This will prevent the tooth’s front surface from directly contacting these liquids.
Coloured Foods That Stain
Just like how certain coloured drinks can stain the teeth, the same goes for coloured food. Acidic and greasy foods that use vibrant artificial food colouring have a high probability of damaging and/or staining the natural tooth enamel. Some of the coloured foods to be mindful of include chocolates, red meat, mango, kiwi, plum, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, beet, soy sauce, ketchup and staining spices like turmeric and paprika. These foods can stain your teeth without having any whitening treatment, and the staining effects will worsen for the teeth post-whitening.
A common method your dentist may recommend to test if a food or drink can stain your teeth is the ‘White shirt’ test. This is where you should think if any foods or beverages might stain a white shirt, and if they do, then avoid such foods and drinks during the initial period after your teeth whitening procedure.
Acidic, Sugary, and Chewy Food
The reason to avoid these foods is that the sugar and acidic elements in these foods can harm the natural structure of the teeth post-procedure. They can also trigger any decay-causing bacteria to grow on the teeth, leading to irritation and staining.
Especially many foods that contain artificial sugar, like candy and ice cream, have food colouring that can stain the teeth. It can also cause damage to the surface of the teeth, which have freshly gone through a chemical process. Alongside acidic and sugary food, try to avoid food that is too chewy. Because if chewy food gets stuck on the surface of the teeth, it might yet again cause stains to form.
Cookies, ice cream, candy, toffee, balsamic vinegar, orange, lemon, lime, and soft drinks are some common types of food you need to be mindful of.
Cigarettes And Other Tobacco Products
The risk of your teeth staining post-teeth-whitening procedures can also be influenced by cigarette smoke and other tobacco products. They pose more risk of staining your teeth after a teeth whitening treatment.
Those who use tobacco products complain that they find the need to do touch-ups to their teeth whitening treatment often because of easy staining. One best way to eliminate teeth staining is to cut out tobacco products. While it can help you enjoy white teeth for longer, it can also eliminate many other health risks that come with smoking.
Dental Hygiene Products That Might Stain
If you’re using any coloured toothpaste or mouthwash, it might be best to take a break from them in the first few days after the teeth whitening procedure. Blue, red, purple, orange, and black (In coal toothpaste) are some common colours in dental products that can stain your teeth. It is best to stick to white or non-coloured dental products for at least one week after the teeth whitening treatment to get the best results.
