What should I avoid eating after teeth whitening?
In short
After teeth whitening it is best to avoid strongly coloured food and drinks such as coffee, tea, red wine, dark soft drinks, berries, tomato sauce and curry, as well as smoking. This matters most in the first 48 hours, when the enamel absorbs pigments more easily. It is also wise to limit very acidic food.
Why teeth stain more easily in the first few days
Straight after whitening, the enamel is temporarily more dehydrated and porous. At this stage it picks up the pigments in food and drinks more easily, which could partly undo the result you have just achieved. Over the following hours, saliva helps the enamel return to its normal balance.
Food and drinks to avoid
- coffee, tea, cola and other dark soft drinks;
- red wine and drinks containing colourings;
- berries, cherries and pomegranate;
- tomato sauce, curry, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar;
- dark chocolate and liquorice;
- cigarettes and other tobacco products.
During the same period it is best not to overdo citrus fruit, fizzy drinks and very acidic food, or very cold or very hot food: they can make worse the sensitivity that sometimes follows treatment.
What you can eat without any problem
Light-coloured foods are fine: plain pasta and rice, bread, potatoes, chicken, turkey and white fish, milk, plain yoghurt and fresh cheeses, bananas. Water remains the best drink.
How long should I follow the “white diet”?
After an in-surgery session, it is usually recommended for the first 48 hours. If, instead, you are whitening at home with custom-made trays, you will generally need to keep it up for the whole course of treatment, which lasts a few weeks. Your dentist will tell you the right timing for your case.
Can I drink coffee after teeth whitening?
It is best to go without for the first two days. After that you can start drinking it again, with a few precautions so you do not lose the whiteness too soon:
- drink a glass of water or rinse your mouth straight afterwards;
- avoid sipping it slowly throughout the day;
- for cold drinks, such as iced coffee or iced tea, a straw can help.
The same rules apply to tea and red wine. How the treatment works is explained on our page about professional teeth whitening; to understand where stains come from, you can also read why teeth turn yellow.
If you are thinking about teeth whitening and want to know how to prepare and how to keep the result, you can book an assessment visit at our clinic in Via Cesare Pavese 135, in the EUR Laurentina area.
