Foods And Drinks That Can Affect Your Teeth Whitening

You may sometimes lose confidence whenever you smile and see strange spots on your natural or veneer teeth. As a result, you may opt for a teeth whitening session to solve these teeth stain problems.

How do foods and drinks stain teeth?

Before you start buying a teeth whitening kit, learn what you should avoid. You need to be aware of the substances that affect tooth discoloration. You don’t need to pressure yourself and memorize their names. What you can do instead is to remember the foods that contain these compounds.

Acids and tannins are two substances that leave stains over time, even on your dental veneers. Unfortunately, you may find these culprits for your brown spots on teeth in your favourite foods and drinks. 

Acids

Acids don’t directly leave brown stains on teeth, but they weaken your tooth enamel. Hence, you end up getting more prone to food stains because of your weak enamel. The three most common types of acids in food and beverages are:

• Citric acid
• Phosphoric acid
• Carbonic acid

You can usually find these acids in soda drinks and fruits. Fruits are good for your health but eating too many citrus fruits can cause tooth erosion. It is why you may sometimes experience tooth sensitivity when eating citrus fruits in large amounts. Similarly, dark-coloured sodas are high in phosphoric acid. Remember what the fizz of these drinks does to your mouth. If you find the taste too acidic, imagine what harm it does to your teeth. The acid even mixes with the sugar, making it a bad combination for teeth whitening.

Tannins

Your morning cup of coffee or tea may be a great way to start your day. However, it may not be always good for your teeth. Coffee and tea both contain tannins that leave yellow hues on your teeth. Tannins are compounds that stay on your teeth for long, thus causing stains.

To address this problem, you can add high-fat milk such as animal milk to your drink. The high-fat content breaks down the tannins and flushes them down to your stomach. In this way, you prevent tannins from staying long in your teeth even having a teeth whitening session.

Aftercare tips after your teeth whitening

The foods and drinks discussed above aren’t just what you need to avoid in general. Moreover, they are also what you should avoid after completing the best teeth whitening treatment with your dentist.

What to eat and drink

As a rule of thumb, avoid eating or drinking anything that may contain acids and tannins. Instead, you may consume any of the following as better alternatives:

• Fruits that are less sour and low in citric acid
• Beverages that don’t have dark artificial colours
• White meat
• Light-coloured vegetables that don’t have juices that stain

To learn more, ask your dentist what certain foods and drinks you need to avoid. Doing so can ensure that you can maintain your bright pearly whites long after your dental treatment.