Now that your teeth are whiter, what is the proper way to take care of them? No more daily bleaching for as long as four hours. Do you have to brush your teeth now? What can you drink and eat, should you floss and rinse and if yes, how often and how?
Let us stat with the rinsing part. This should be done before you do anything else. Do your best not to swallow the gel. If your kit comes with mouthwash, use it. If not, look for a product that contains fluoride. You need fluoride because bleaching leads to demineralization of the teeth’s enamel (its mineral content gets reduced), and fluoride will help you reverse this. Your saliva acts to reload minerals, and this is a natural process, but it takes at least thirty minutes during which your teeth are not protected. This is where the fluoride comes into play. Do not rinse with liquids that have acidic content or are colored, because these can be harmful. In addition, avoid drinking carbonated beverages, fruit juice, and other artificial drinks. Only water to begin with. Do not brush your teeth right after the bleaching session. Wait for at least 30 minutes. Then, brush lightly because your enamel is still vulnerable from insufficient minerals. Good toothpaste by anyone’s standard should contain both potassium nitrate for sensitive teeth and fluoride.
With regard to eating, do not consume anything after the bleaching session. You can have a meal about 1 hour after the treatment. Avoid cold and hot meals. Do not use colored mouthwash for 48 hours if your bleaching procedure took place in the morning or early afternoon. In that case, white toothpaste should be used. If the treatment was late at night, do not brush your teeth before going to bed. Do so the next morning. Again, do not use colored mouthwash or hard toothbrushes.
Drinks that leave tooth stains include all things carbonated, tea, coffee, coke, colored juices, etc. They also include all kinds of alcoholic beverages that are colored, especially red wines and all kinds of beer. Foods you should avoid in the next 48 hours include sweet corn, peas, green beans, broccoli, sprouts, beetroot, sprouts, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Other foods to avoid are red or green lettuce, all fruits except bananas, bread, most sauces (especially the likes of Bolognaise), and all cream. You should avoid butter and margarine, as well as sweets and chocolate. Candy leaves stains and damages sensitive teeth!
Do not fret though! The list of things you can eat and drink is equally lengthy. You can drink sparkling water, tonic water, skimmed milk, vodka, gin, and white wine. You can consume white fish, turkey, white rice and pasta, as well as fat-free chicken. Other products to choose from include cottage cheese, mashed, boiled, or baked potatoes (without the skin), and sugar-free chewing gum.
Learn how to whiten your teeth on a budget here.