Many people turn to teeth whitening treatments to achieve a whiter smile — either professionally or in the comfort of their own homes. While the treatment itself is crucial to get the result you dream of, what you do afterwards is equally important to keep your teeth white.

In this blog post, you will learn expert tips on how to care for your teeth after the whitening treatment.

Foods to Avoid After Teeth Whitening Treatment

Going through the procedure will cost you money, so you would want to make sure the stunning result will last a long time. The first 48 hours after the treatment is critical. So you need to be more aware of your food intake as there are certain types of food that discolour your teeth. Avoid them during this time.

These include but are not limited to the following:

• Tea and coffee. These brews can stain your teeth instantly
• Dark-coloured sauces. Avoid red pasta sauce, soy sauce, barbecue sauce
• Fruit juice.
• Dark chocolate. This contains caffeine and thus could stain your teeth
• Acidic food. Lemons, oranges, and other citrus fruits should be avoided. These are acidic or sour foods can weaken your enamel

As a general rule of thumb, don’t take any food or drink that will stain a white shirt for 48 hours after teeth whitening.

If you must insist on drinking coffee or soda or other dark-coloured drinks, just use a straw instead of sipping directly from your mug. By using a straw, the liquid will not come in contact with your teeth.

So what’s safe to eat after this orthodontic treatment?

• White-coloured vegetables
• White meat
• Colourless beverages
• Non-acidic fruits

Teeth Whitening Aftercare: Observe Proper Oral Hygiene

As kids, we were taught the basics of taking care of our teeth. After you’ve whitened your teeth, it’s all the more important to observe them to make your perfect smile last.

For the best results, try to do the following tasks as often as you can:

• Brush your teeth at least twice every day.
• Floss at least once a day to help remove any plaque that builds up over time.
• Rinse your mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash at least once every day. This too will help kill the types of bacteria that cause plaque build-up.
• Consider using a whitening toothpaste at least once or twice a week. This will act as a type of basic touch-up, allowing you to remove any surface stains that have built up over time, and it will also go a long way towards preventing discolouration.
• For the rest of the times that you brush your teeth, use regular toothpaste.

Consider Touch-Up Treatments

Depending on the type of teeth whitening treatments that you’ve used, along with your general diet and lifestyle, the results you see aren’t going to last forever.

You may need to consider touch-up treatments every six months or so for possibly as long as two years — even in the case of professional treatment.

Sometimes touch-ups may be necessary what you eat or drink are going to chip away at those results. A touch-up will restore that natural shine to your smile.

Is teeth whitening safe?

Teeth whitening is generally considered safe, but there are a few side effects that may or may not be experienced. Some level of tooth sensitivity may be experienced following teeth whitening, but it usually goes away with time. You can also experience some irritation in the gums.

Is teeth whitening permanent?

Teeth whitening is not permanent. While the whitening and shine tend to stay for a period of time, even months, foods and beverages that cause staining can cause the whiteness to fade away. Take coffee as an example.

Does teeth whitening hurt?

After studies to analyse this, there’s no evidence that tooth whitening products will damage the tooth nerves or cause pain over time.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Perhaps one of the effective ways to deal with teeth whitening aftercare is regularly going to a dentist to have your teeth checked.

Seeing a dental care provider isn’t something that you should fear or feel embarrassed about. It’s an essential part of making sure that the pearly white smile you enjoy today stays that way for a long time.

If you want to book your next dental appointment, don’t delay — find dentist appointments with affordable practitioners near you.