5 Foods That Help Keep Your Teeth Bright After Professional Whitening

Professional teeth whitening from your dentist is a fast, safe, and easy way to remove up to eight shades of discoloration from your smile in about an hour. But now that you’ve got the gleaming grin you’ve been dreaming of, how do you maintain those remarkable results? Here are five delicious foods you can enjoy immediately after teeth whitening to help keep your pearly whites looking their best for as long as possible!

The White Diet

Professional whitening works by using powerful chemicals that infiltrate the tiny pores in your teeth and break apart the stains hiding inside. Unfortunately sometimes your teeth may lose some of the minerals that keep them strong and protect them from sensitivity in the process. To combat this, your dentist may recommend brushing with a sensitive toothpaste for a few days to help restore them. However, because the teeth are so sensitive and delicate in those crucial first few days, you should also be cautious about the foods you eat. For starters, avoid anything too hot, cold, or acidic, as these can increase sensitivity. But to protect the teeth from becoming re-stained, it is also important to avoid any foods or beverages that are darkly pigmented, like chocolate, coffee, cola, marinara, curry, or soy sauce.

Some healthy, delicious options that are safe to enjoy during the first few days post-treatment include:

• Mashed potatoes
• Oatmeal or cream of wheat
• Hummus
• Scrambled eggs
• Any white protein like chicken, fish, or pork
• Bananas
• Applesauce
• Plain yogurt
• Cheese
• Milk

Five Fantastic Foods for Brighter Teeth

After the first two or three days post-treatment, you can gradually add more darkly pigmented foods to your diet, but proceed with caution, as your teeth can still develop new stains. Drink from a straw when possible and consider incorporating the following five fabulous foods into your diet on a regular basis.

Cheese

Not only is cheese packed with protein, but it can also help increase the production of saliva, helping to wash away food particles and keep your teeth cleaner. It also has plenty of calcium, which is an important mineral for building strong teeth and bones, so your smile will be healthier for it, too!

Strawberries

Although you may not think a bright red berry could help keep your teeth white, the truth is that strawberries are full of malic acid, which helps to whiten the teeth. Plus, they’re an excellent source of vitamin C, and they taste great, to boot!

Celery

Not only is celery low in calories, but it can also help keep your teeth white and bright. In fact, many people don’t realize it, but chewing on hard veggies like celery and carrots can also help loosen food stuck in between the teeth in a pinch when you don’t have dental floss or a toothbrush available!

Cauliflower

Cauliflower takes a lot of work to chew, especially when it’s raw, and the longer you chew the more saliva you generate. This benefits your smile by keeping your teeth cleaner and brighter, extending your whitening results!

Apples

Much like cauliflower, celery, and other crunchy fruits and vegetables, apples keep the teeth cleaner by generating saliva and scrubbing away debris and plaque as you chew, helping to keep your smile bright!

Remember, while none of the above foods can replace a solid at-home oral hygiene routine including brushing twice a day and flossing daily, or visiting your dentist every six months for your preventive exam and cleaning, they can help keep your newly whitened teeth as white as possible while you eat!

About Our Practice

At On Point Dentistry, Dr. Caballeros and Dr. Parra want you to have a whiter, brighter smile! That’s why we’re proud to offer both in-office and take-home professional whitening options. If you’re ready to remove up to eight shades of stains and discoloration in as little as one hour, contact us today to schedule a consultation by visiting our website or calling 469-476-4092.