It is important to understand the dental whitening process and why what you are eating impacts your whitening results. Hint, hint, there are dietary restrictions after whitening your teeth. During the process of whitening your teeth, the outer porous layer of your tooth is penetrated by whitening material allowing the staining to be broken down and lifted. These pores are now considered to be open for 48 hours after whitening, also making the tooth more susceptible to new staining. Therefore, there are dietary restrictions while whitening your teeth.

What foods and beverages should I avoid after whitening my teeth? It is recommended to avoid items such as red wine, carbonated beverages, tomato juice, coffee, especially black coffee, black tea, berries, and chocolate after whitening your teeth. While this list is not an all-inclusive list, it is a good rule of thumb to avoid dark or red colored food and drink items as well as acidic food and beverages for at least the first two days following a dental whitening treatment.

Why do I need to avoid dark, red and acidic food and drink? Foods and drinks containing dark or red coloring may noticeably add staining to your newly whitened teeth as the color enzymes as dark and dominant. These items have the potential to present as discoloration in your tooth more quickly following a whitening treatment as the porous layer of your tooth is still open, making these pores a harbor for the dark dies. You should also avoid acidic foods and drinks as they may elongate the period in which your tooth’s porous layer is at its highest susceptibility. This may result in discoloration of your teeth over a longer period.