What to Eat After Teeth Whitening

After a professional teeth whitening treatment, you’ll naturally want to keep the results of your whiter, brighter smile going for as long as possible. While the effects of teeth whitening won’t be permanent, they can last for extensive periods as long as you take a few precautions, particularly when it comes to the food and beverages you consume after you’ve had the treatment. Knowing the types of food that can be helpful and which ones to reduce (or completely avoid) is very important for maintaining the results of teeth whitening.

We’ll start with some of the foods, drinks, and products that you should avoid as much as possible after a teeth bleaching treatment. These items contain staining agents that can discolor the teeth and minimize the length of teeth whitening results:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Red wine
• Colored juices
• Soda drinks that are not clear (many types of cola, red cream, etc.)
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Berries
• Condiments such as ketchup or soy sauce
• Red sauce

It can be hard for many people to completely stay away from some items, such as coffee and berries; if total avoidance of those items is not possible, you can help reduce the potential for staining by brushing (or at least thoroughly rinsing) your teeth right after consumption.

Here are some of the foods, drinks, and products that are not only okay to eat after teeth whitening, but they can actually be good for your dental health and the appearance of your teeth:

• Celery
• Carrots
• Apples
• Certain types of cheese
• Cauliflower
• Milk

This is by no means a complete list. In general, beverages that are clear and foods that are essentially white (pasta, vanilla yogurt/pudding, potatoes, white breads, and many others) typically provide better options than those with ingredients that could stain the teeth after a whitening treatment.

Our dentist can provide you with more guidance on what to eat after teeth whitening treatment at your initial consultation, or you can contact us at any time with questions!