Can you eat after teeth whitening?
In this brief guide, we will address the query, “can you eat after teeth whitening?” We will also talk about what type of foods and beverages you can eat and drink after this procedure, what actually is ‘teeth whitening’, how it is done, and we will also discuss the risks of teeth whitening.
Can you eat after teeth whitening?
The short answer is yes, you can eat after getting your teeth whitened. However, you can’t eat everything.
For at least the following 48 hours, your dentist may advise you to avoid certain types of foods and drinks so that you preserve the whiteness of your new, shiny teeth.
What is ‘teeth whitening’?
It is a dental procedure that will simply whiten your teeth. In other words, it is a bleach (hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) that turns your teeth lighter. Its purpose is aesthetic, and it has become very popular over the past few years.
The process can be done at the dentist’s office – which is faster and safer – or you can do it by yourself, at home, with DIY whitening kits (which are riskier). Both options will require the same care with your eating habits afterwards.
What can you eat after teeth whitening?
You can eat light-colored and white foods. Some dentists call it ‘the white diet’.
Normally, your teeth are already susceptible to tainting. After getting them whitened, it is even more susceptible. So you’ll have to avoid any dark foods and drinks, such as dark fruits (blueberries for example), curry, coffee, tea, and red wine.
Actually, avoid anything that contains tannins, acids and/or chromogens for at least 2 days. Most dentists will recommend that you don’t over consume these types of foods on a daily basis as it can taint your teeth at any time.
Foods that you can eat includes:
- White meat such as fish and chicken;
- Light-colored bread;
- Light-colored fruits (like bananas);
- Natural yogurt (or white yogurt);
- Rice and potatoes
Can teeth whitening damage your teeth?
Teeth whitening can damage your teeth If done incorrectly. The bleach used in the procedure can damage your gums and also your teeth. People who try DIY home whitening kits are more likely to suffer this type of damage, since those kits are not made for your specific mouth and teeth.
Exaggerated doses of bleach can cause long-lasting sensitivity and damage your enamel, the tooth top layer that is the hardest and most protective one. In turn, this damage can cause future harm to the tooth inner layers.
Can you drink wine after teeth whitening?
You cannot drink red wine for the first two hours after teeth whitening, if you want to maintain your teeth as white as possible.
Dark drinks and foods may taint your teeth, as mentioned above. You may also avoid coffee, tea, whiskey and other types of colored drinks.
What are the risks of teeth whitening?
As whitening your teeth involves bleaching them, it can be very risky if you are not too careful or if you have no idea what you are doing, mostly if you’re doing this by yourself.
We strongly advise you to look for a reliable dentist or dental professional to get this procedure done. Avoid beauty salons as most commonly they don’t have certified personnel and, also, it is illegal.
In home kits, the mouth guard has a generic size which may not fit properly in your teeth. This can cause the whitening gel to leak into your gums, and you will feel blistering and sensitivity.
In general, there are no great risks at whitening your teeth.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we addressed the query “can you eat after teeth whitening?”. We also talked about what teeth whitening is, who can do it and what are the risks of doing it. Then we discussed the types of foods you can eat after this procedure and what to avoid eating.
We hope that this guide was useful. If you have any doubts, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Citations
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/teeth-whitening/
