Teeth whitening is among the most common cosmetic dentistry procedures. It is a simple, painless procedure that helps people regain their clean teeth, sparkling smiles, and confidence. Many people look at teeth whitening as a definitive solution. However, that is not the case; there are some steps you should follow after your teeth whitening treatment. Let’s find out more about them.
Food
Food and drinks are the two main reasons behind teeth yellowing, deep stains, and discoloration. After your teeth whitening treatment, there are certain food items that are best to avoid. These are items that usually have high pigmentation should be avoided after a teeth whitening treatment. Food is an essential component of effective cosmetic dentistry. It is recommended to ask your expert dentists to suggest a diet that encourages a healthy smile.
To get a good idea of what food items you should avoid, think of your teeth like a white shirt. If your drop black coffee on a white shirt, it is bound to be stained. However, it won’t be the same if you drop a piece of banana. Use this principle when deciding what to eat and avoid after teeth whitening treatments. If the food item you are about to eat is capable of staining a white shirt, avoid it. Otherwise, go ahead and have it. For items that fall between the two extremes, moderate consumption is the way to go.
For easy reference, here are some food items you must avoid after a teeth whitening treatment:
- Any food with artificial colourings, such as cakes, candies, ice cream, chocolate, etc.
- Any item that has too much-refined sugar in it. Refined sugar will damage the whitening treatment and lead to further erosion, decay, and discoloration.
- Pigmented fruits like raspberries, cherries, pomegranates, blackberries, and blueberries.
Drinks
After food, drinks are the biggest culprit in teeth decaying and discoloration. Again, you can use the white shirt experiment to figure out what to drink and which beverages to avoid. Coffee, for example, is a big no-no. Depending on its staining properties, some variants of tea can be consumed. Sugary aerated drinks should be avoided at all costs, just like wine. Avoid anything that has artificial colours after teeth whitening treatments.
Lifestyle changes
Some foods and drinks promote better dental health. Try to incorporate these delicious items into your daily routine for better teeth and gums: tofu, cheese, leafy greens, lean protein such as fish and poultry. Light coloured food items are safe after teeth whitening treatments. For drinks, nothing can be better than plain old water.
Apart from that, certain lifestyle choices can be very damaging for our teeth. Smoking is one of the significant reasons behind dental problems, and you should try to avoid it. Tobacco, in general, is very bad for our teeth and gums. Similarly, stay away from pigmented chewing gums or throat lozenges. Any food item that has some discolouring property is unsafe after teeth whitening.
Most importantly, regularly visiting your dentist for dental checkups is the best thing you can do for your gums and teeth. Your dentist will assess your dental condition and determine what you need – cleaning, whitening, plaque removal, or veneers. Torbram Dental in Brampton makes these procedures easy.
Teeth whitening has impressive benefits for people suffering from discoloured teeth. It brings back your white smile and your confidence. Following a few lifestyle choices will make the post-whitening process easy and effective for you. Torbram Dental in Brampton will provide you with cosmetic dentistry services and introduce you to good dental habits, which will encourage your overall well-being.