03 Dec How to Care for Your Teeth After Whitening
After you get your teeth professionally whitened, it makes sense that you would want your results to last as long as possible! Did you know that there are several steps you can take to ensure that your teeth stay nice and white after a whitening treatment? Read on to learn more about teeth whitening aftercare so that you can keep flashing your pearly whites for years to come!
Teeth Whitening Aftercare
What you eat after getting your teeth whitened actually plays a big role in determining how long your teeth will stay white!
For the first 48 hours after your procedure, you should be very careful with what you put into your mouth. For the best results, you should avoid anything that could stain your teeth. Stay away from foods and beverages that are known to stain, such as red wine, black tea, coffee, beets, cherries, berries, artificial colors (in things like energy drinks). And definitely don’t smoke, vape, or chew tobacco—this will ruin the effects of your treatment.
Avoid Acidic Foods and Drinks
After a whitening treatment, your tooth is weaker than normal. This effect doesn’t last long, but for the first few weeks following a teeth whitening treatment you should try to avoid acidic foods and drinks. Soda, lemons, limes, tomato sauce, pickles, and other acidic foods and beverages can make your enamel even weaker and leave your teeth vulnerable to new stains.
Avoid Hot and Cold Foods
After a whitening procedure, you will have sensitive teeth for a few days. To keep the sensitivity from getting worse, you should avoid eating or drinking anything excessively hot or cold. You can also use a “sensitive teeth” toothpaste to prevent discomfort.
Safe Foods to Eat After Teeth Whitening
Fresh and crunchy fruits or vegetables (excluding berries!) will actually help to clean your teeth while you eat them. Foods like these help to increase saliva production, which helps remineralize your enamel and fight acidity. Some of the best fruits and vegetables to eat are apples, celery, carrots, and bell peppers.
Cosmetic Teeth Whitening at Prescott Dentistry
The first thing people notice about you is your smile. A beautiful smile will give you more confidence in both your personal and professional life. If stained teeth are “hiding” the real you, perhaps it’s time to make a change. Professional whitening will give you immediate and dramatic results. Give us a call today to set up a teeth whitening appointment.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (12/3/2021). Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash