Top Foods and Drinks to Avoid After Whiten­ing for Long-Last­ing Results

This treatment is not designed to last forever, and if you continue to enjoy the same food and drinks that caused the staining in the first place, you can expect it to return. If you want to prolong the results and keep your smile looking dazzling for as long as possible, you need to consider limiting certain food and drink choices.

If you are whitening your teeth before a special occasion such as your wedding, it will be even more important to ensure you skip these staining foods. In this guide, we’re exploring how teeth staining occurs, how teeth whitening fixes it, and how to extend the results of your teeth whitening treatment.

What causes staining?

Your teeth might look hard and solid, but they actually have very small holes or pores. This allows them to absorb particles from the food and drink that you consume every day. Some foods are worse for staining than others. Just like certain foods might stain a countertop, so too are your teeth at risk. The most common causes of dental staining include:

• Tea and coffee

• Red and white wine

• Cola and sports drinks

• Sticky sauces and marinades, like BBQ sauce

• Soy sauce

• Tomato-based sauces

• Curry sauces, in particular anything containing turmeric

• Balsamic vinegar

This is just a snippet of the types of food and drink that can cause staining. If you regularly enjoy any of these foods, you can expect deposits to build up on your teeth over time.

How does teeth whitening address staining?

If you’re unhappy with the colour of your teeth due to staining, you can consider teeth whitening treatments. This is like a deep cleaning for your teeth. It uses hydrogen peroxide or similar chemicals to penetrate deep into the teeth and break down the bonds between the staining particles.

Without these bonds, these particles can be flushed out of the teeth, leaving your smile looking brighter and whiter. There are lots of different methods of teeth whitening available.

This includes at-home and in-chair teeth whitening. It’s often most effective to use a combination of the two.

The strongest treatments are reserved for the dentist’s office where they can be used in a supervised setting. While teeth whitening is very safe when handled by a professional, there is a risk of damage to the teeth and gums if used incorrectly.

For at-home treatments, you can choose between higher strength treatments that are left on for a shorter time. You could also have a lower strength treatment that is left on overnight. A dentist can help you to find the right treatment for your needs. It’s vital not to trust this treatment to an inexperienced or unlicenced professional, as this could lead to damage to your oral health.

How do you extend the results of teeth whitening?

If you want to keep your teeth looking bright and beautiful for longer, there are a few simple changes you can make to your lifestyle.

Get the basics right by making sure that you are brushing your teeth twice a day with an electric toothbrush and a whitening toothpaste. This will help to maintain the results between treatments while also ensuring that your oral health is protected.

You should also consider your food choices and try to cut out any choices that are likely to lead to staining. The worst staining culprits include things like turmeric, soy sauce and tomato-based sauces.

If you cannot cut out these foods entirely, consider drinking water alongside your meal or snack so that you don’t leave any staining particles on your teeth. Another highly effective way to protect your teeth is through smart food pairing.

For example, eating raw vegetables alongside your favourite staining foods can help to limit the impact. A small piece of cheese after your meal is another highly effective way to remineralise the teeth and protect against acid erosion and staining. You might enjoy a glass of wine alongside a piece of cheese and some celery, for example.

Finally, you can also ask your dentist about completing top-up treatments at home. Once you have your custom trays designed for your whitening treatment, it’s easy enough to fill them with whitening solution and wear these at home.

It’s important not to overuse treatments, as this could lead to permanent damage to the teeth. Overuse of whitening treatments is linked to increased sensitivity and a glassy appearance to the teeth.

However, if you use your teeth whitening treatments in line with your dentist’s instructions, you should be able to maintain the results yourself at home.

What can’t teeth whitening treat?

Teeth whitening is only suitable for staining linked to diet and lifestyle choices such as smoking. For discolouration linked to tooth damage or decay, whitening won’t be effective. The only solution for this type of damage would be treatment such as veneers or composite bonding. If you aren’t sure which type of dental discolouration you have, book an appointment with our team to learn more. We can guide you through the the process and find the ideal solution for your needs.