How Long After Teeth Whitening Can I Eat Foods That May Stain?

The first couple of days after tooth whitening are the most critical. After whitening the pores or dentinal tubules are open and most susceptible to staining. I tell my patients to wait at least 36-48 hours to consume food or beverages that may stain teeth, those include anything that may stain a white T-shirt. All systems require maintenance with at-home trays that can be fabricated by your dentist. Consuming beverages that may stain teeth with a straw helps to keep your teeth... more

In my experience, I tell patients to wait forty-eight hours. You would not want to go through all the effort of whitening your teeth and then discoloring them again.

To maximize your whitening results and avoid introducing stain, it is best to wait 48 hours after professionally whitening your teeth before you consume any dark liquids, sauces, or foods.

It is recommended that you avoid staining foods and drinks for at least 48 hours after whitening your teeth.  Obviously the longer you can wait, the better the result.  For long term maintenance, drinking staining liquids through a straw helps maintain your color as well as rinsing your mouth with water after.  At home maintenance of your bleaching is easy with take home trays or using a paint on bleach after a meal or drink. 

For the best result, avoid foods that have a lot of color (coffee, tea, mustard, cranberry juice, red wine) for several days until the open pores in the tooth have closed over.

After whitening, the teeth are in a reversible demineralized state and more likely to stain. 48 hours after discontinuing chemical exposure, the buffering effects of the saliva will help remineralize the enamel and the teeth should be more resistant to foods that tend to discolor (red wine, colas, coffee, etc)

We use the Zoom Advanced Power machine in our office to whiten teeth. We tell any of our patients receiving Zoom to stay away from food or liquids that have a tendency to stain your teeth. Examples of this would be coffee, tea, red wine, and even some pasta sauces. After 48 hours, the enamel will remineralize and you can go back to your normal diet. If you have to have your "coffee fix" during that time be sure to use a straw to avoid direct contact with the... more