Getting your teeth whitened can be one of the best ways to improve the appearance of your smile, turning your teeth into pearly whites in a relatively short amount of time if done in a professional setting.
Being that these procedures can be quite costly, it’s safe to say that it’s best to try to keep your teeth as white as possible after the procedure in order to enjoy your results for a longer period of time. The best, and simplest, way to keep up the maintenance of your newly whitened smile is to avoid any foods that may cause unnecessary staining.
Because whitened teeth are more susceptible to staining, it is best to be aware of what foods may affect the results of your tooth whitening procedure. So, what should you watch out for when it comes to eating? Here are 4 foods to avoid.
1. Acidic Foods
The whitening procedure, although aesthetically beneficial, can increase the immediate sensitivity of your teeth due to the bleaching process and its effects on tooth enamel. As a result, you may be more susceptible to discomfort and pain when you mix in acids.
That being said, it’s better to stay away from foods that naturally cause an increase in tooth sensitivity while you recover from the procedure. These foods include anything that’s highly acidic, including citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, berries, coffee, and tea.
2. Pickles
As previously mentioned, whitening your teeth involves a bleaching process that can increase the sensitivity of your teeth immediately following the procedure and can extend to a couple of days. Avoiding acidic food is advantageous, but take note to especially avoid pickles.
Pickles tend to contain an extremely high amount of vinegar, which is considered to be quite acidic – in fact, they’re one of the most acidic foods out. That being said, to avoid the pain and discomfort that tends to come along with increased tooth sensitivity, it’d be best to avoid pickles altogether.
3. Sauces
The key to maintaining maximum whiteness once you’ve gone through your whitening procedure is to avoid any foods that may stain your teeth in any way. Most of these foods involve sauces such as tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, and the darkest sauce of them all, soy sauce.
Meals containing these sauces may taste good, but they can seriously impact the effectiveness of your whitening treatment by decreasing the length of time you sustain your results. It just makes sense to try to avoid anything in general that would leave stains to your newly shiny teeth.
4. Red Meat
If you had to avoid one food category in general, it would be red meats. Not only do they have the ability to stain and decrease the brightness of your smile, but these foods are also very acidic and can further increase the tooth sensitivity that you may have. Considering these meats can do double the damage, it’s best to avoid them right after having your teeth whitened and for some days following the procedure.
Learn More About Teeth Whitening in NW Calgary
While teeth whitening is a very effective and relatively easy procedure with minimal downtime and impressive results, it does require some careful maintenance in order to have the best results. Aside from proper oral care, such as tooth brushing and flossing, being aware of what food you eat in the days following your procedure is necessary for care.
If you’d like to learn more about how to get the best results following your tooth whitening procedure or would like to find out how more about the procedure itself, feel free to contact us here at Dentrix Dental Care. We will be more than happy to help you make the most of your beautiful smile.