In the days after a teeth whitening or cleaning procedure, your teeth are especially susceptible to staining, as your teeth are typically more porous and sensitive to external factors.
Professional teeth whitening treatments can do a lot to remove even stubborn and long-lasting stains and dental discoloration, but even simple lifestyle factors can do just as much to reverse or re-stain your teeth.
Maintain a Healthy, White Smile
Whether you’ve received a professional whitening treatment or not, you should avoid several things to keep your smile white. Steering clear of these foods and beverages, or at least minimizing your consumption, can help to make sure your smile stays as white as possible.
1. Coffee, Tea, and Dark Sodas
Because of their color, their acidity, and their frequency of consumption, these beverages are one of the most important things to avoid when protecting your white teeth. Coffee and tea are typically consumed in small sips, which allows the dark pigments and acidity to remain on your teeth for a longer period.
All of these drinks contain dark pigments and often added sugars or sweeteners, depending on their preparation, that can contribute to yellowish tints, dental decay, and enamel weakness.
2. Red Wine and Fruit Juice
It’s no secret that red wine and fruit juice stains are very difficult to remove from fabrics and textiles, so it follows that both drinks are common culprits when it comes to the accumulation of dental stains and discoloration on your teeth.
These drinks are especially important to avoid because they can compromise their enamel with their sugar content and acidity.
3. Dark Fruits and Vegetables
Around the world, highly-pigmented produce is used to create colored dyes to tint and color fabrics and other materials. Anything that can permanently alter the color of any white or light-colored material is vibrant enough to stain your teeth.
These fruits and vegetables include the following:
- Dark berries.
- Red cabbage.
- Spinach or other leafy greens.
- Beets.
4. Dark Vinegar and Sauces
Sauces such as soy sauce, mustard, curry, and balsamic vinegar are often both highly acidic and highly pigmented—bad news for a freshly whitened smile. Sauces that contain a lot of sugar, such as marinara or barbecue sauce, can also contribute to a yellowing smile because of their color and plaque-friendly ingredients that compromise your dental health in more ways than one.
5. Smoking and Tobacco Use
Lifelong smokers often have a hard time maintaining a truly white smile. Cigarettes and other tobacco products contain both tar and nicotine that can get enter the pores of your teeth and contribute to dental discoloration. Even vape products contribute to tooth stains thanks to ingredients such as coloring agents and nicotine, which turns brown or yellow when exposed to oxygen.
6. Candy and Sweets
Anything that is widely known to either contribute to or detract from your general dental health should be kept in mind when looking to keep up a white smile. Candy and sweet treats contain a great deal of sugar and often artificial or highly pigmented dyes that weaken your teeth’s enamel and can contribute to stain-causing plaque buildup and dental decay.
Teeth Whitening in Seattle
Trying to maintain your perfectly white teeth may seem an impossible task, but it’s less about avoiding these things entirely and more about minimizing contact with your teeth. If you just can’t live without your morning cup of coffee, for example, just make sure to rinse or brush your teeth after consumption, or drink through a straw to cut down on its contact with your teeth.
To achieve a perfectly white smile at home or in the dentist’s chair, try our teeth whitening services! The professional whitening treatments at Magnolia Dental Care can transform your smile in just one visit. Contact our office today to schedule a consultation or whitening appointment!
