Omni Dental Group

Foods to Avoid While Whitening Teeth

Whitening teeth is a great way to brighten up your smile, and with a few simple tricks, you can help your pearly whites stay that way.

Follow your Regular Diet after Whitening with a Few Exceptions

Your teeth are still your teeth following the treatment, except that their pores (dentinal tubules) are more open than before. Within 36 to 48 hours, the pores will return to their regular size. You can still eat as your normally would, except that it helps to avoid darker coloured drinks and juices, which includes coffee, tea, and sodas. If you would like to enjoy your favourite meals as usual, use a straw to sip from your cup while avoiding your teeth. It also helps to rinse your mouth with water afterwards to help prevent staining.

Foods that Pass the T-shirt Test

If you’re unsure about the effect that the food you’re about to eat or order will have on your newly whitened teeth, consider doing the following: When you rub the food onto a white T-shirt, will it leave a stain behind? If the answer is yes, it’s a good idea to push it aside on your plate or order something else entirely. The test is simple and an easy rule of thumb to remember, especially since you don’t have to actually perform it to guess the outcome!

Food Substitutes for your Teeth and your Health

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, blackberries, and others leave behind a colourful juice and pulp. Replace these fruits with apples, pears and guavas as the flesh of these fruits are light coloured enough to be eaten without a trace left on your teeth. Furthermore, they activate your salivary glands to reduce the bacterial count and fight tooth decay.

Balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce are staple ingredients in an Italian kitchen, but they should be consumed in moderation. Consider using a pesto sauce or mushroom/cream based sauce instead of tomato sauce.

Popsicles and dark juices, such as grape, pomegranate, and cranberry flavours taste great and are sometimes fortified with vitamins for better health. It’s best to avoid these items as they’re dark coloured and sugary. For a healthy snack, vegetables containing high water content are effective at flushing the bacteria from your mouth.

For red wine drinkers, you can pair your meals with white wines which are better suited to certain meats and dishes anyway.