Teeth whitening refers to the process of bleaching teeth with chemicals like hydrogen peroxide in order to give them a lighter tone. If you’ve recently gone through this process, then you’re most likely worried about getting your teeth stained by hot beverages like tea or coffee.
However, the questions is, how long after home teeth whitening can I drink tea? Well, when you whiten your teeth, the bleaching agents used on your teeth temporarily damages the outer protective layer of your teeth. It makes your teeth more susceptible to dirt and stains. That is why you should wait for at least 2-3 days to drink tea after using a homemade teeth whitening solution.
In this article, we’ll discuss whether it’s safe to drink tea and other beverages after whitening your teeth and when you should do it.
So, let’s begin.
Tea after teeth whitening – is it safe?
Having tea after your teeth whitening session is definitely not safe. You should avoid doing that at all costs.
Teeth whitening agents like carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide breaks down the molecules of the outer layer of your teeth. This gets rid of the yellow tint from your teeth, making them appear whiter.
It takes some time for the protective layer of your teeth’s enamel to recover. And if you drink any kind of teeth-staining beverages like tea, coffee, soft drinks, and red wine during that time, your teeth will likely get stained by them.
If that happens, you may need to whiten your teeth again. And whitening your teeth frequently is not good for your teeth’s health.
Tea has a certain substance named tannin. If you drink tea regularly, tannin starts to form on your teeth’s enamel. It causes your teeth to darken over time. And this process can be quite dangerous when your teeth are whitened. So, it’s not a good idea to drink tea right after whitening your teeth.
Can I drink black tea after teeth whitening?
As mentioned in the previous section, drinking tea during the first two days after whitening your teeth is a bad idea. The same lies in the case of black tea. Actually, the staining ability of black tea is much higher than regular tea.
That’s because the level of tannin in black tea is much higher. In fact, black also stains the gums. If you’ve been consuming black tea for a long time, then you’ve likely noticed your teeth become yellower over time.
You have to wait for your teeth’s enamel to fully recover from the whitening process before you attempt to drink black tea.
Is it okay to drink green tea after teeth whitening?
Although green tea does not have a high amount of tannin like black tea, it does have trace amounts of this substance. That is why green is able to stain your teeth and give it a slightly grayish color.
You should avoid drinking green tea as well after whitening your teeth. However, that does not mean that you cannot drink any kind of tea during that period.
White tea and rooibos are great alternatives to green tea as they do not contain any kind of teeth-staining chemicals.
When can I drink tea after home teeth whitening?
A study published in the European Journal of Dentistry found that the patients who went through home teeth whitening sessions were at a greater risk of getting their teeth stained during the first 48 hours.
Researchers also found that tea, cola and red wine are high effective at staining teeth. They recommended that patients should abstain from these sorts of drinks for around 48-72 hours.
How can I determine if a particular type of tea is safe for me to drink after my teeth whitening procedure?
Dentists recommend avoiding certain drinks after your teeth whitening procedure. However, there are a lot of drinks that can be safely consumed even if you’ve gone through this procedure.
Here are a few steps that you can take to determine which drinks are safe for you in such a situation:
Check the Chemical Composition
The best way to decide whether a drink is safe for consumption after teeth whitening is to check it’s chemical composition. You can easily check the chemical makeup of a certain drink by searching it online or by checking its label.
If the drink contains any alcohol, then you should stay away from it. Also, most fizzy drinks contains acids that can damage your teeth’s enamel especially after you’ve whitened them. So, please abstain from soft drinks after this procedure.
Examine the Color of the Drink
If the drink that you’re having has a dark color that means it will likely cause your teeth to stain. Tea, coffee, grape juice, cranberry juice, carrot juice, and red wine all have distinctive colors. So, you should avoid them.
Are there any other steps that I need to take after having teeth whitened?
There are a few steps that you have to take after getting your teeth whitened to make sure your teeth recover properly. Those steps are given below:
Do not Smoke
Tobacco is not only hazardous for your health, it also discolors your teeth. So, even if you smoke regularly, you should abstain from smoking during this time.
Eat foods that have dark colors
There are some food items like blueberries, tomato sauce and dark chocolate have the ability to discolor your teeth. Even if you eat these foods, you have to thoroughly rinse your teeth afterward.
Consult with your dentist
You should visit your dentist after a week to make sure your teeth are in perfect condition. In case your teeth get stained during that time, your dentist will be able to clean it immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I drink too much tea after my teeth whitening treatment?
If you drink a large amount of tea after going through teeth whitening treatment, the tannin contained within the tea will form a dark layer over your teeth’s enamel. Also the sugar inside the tea will damage your teeth and make them vulnerable to cavities.
Can I drink chamomile tea after teeth whitening?
Chamomile tea and other types of herbal teas don’t cause stains on your teeth. That means you can drink chamomile tea after this procedure. However, it’s best to avoid any kind of drinks except water, during the first 24 hours after the treatment.
Can you have tea after teeth whitening?
No, you cannot have tea right after teeth whitening. Tea will immediately start staining your teeth after the teeth-whitening chemicals make your teeth vulnerable to stains.
Is it okay to drink green tea after coffee?
Yes, it’s definitely okay to drink green tea after having coffee. Both types of drinks have health benefits and having one after the other will not cause their nutritional value to degrade.
Can I use other mouthwash products while whitening teeth is still effective?
You should avoid using mouthwash products after whitening teeth. That’s because mouthwash contains added colors that can stain your teeth.
Final Thoughts
Whitening your teeth is an excellent way to brighten your smile. But, having certain foods and drinks can ruin your smile by causing discoloration.
After all, that we have discussed above should be clear to you, drinking tea or any other colored beverages after home teeth whitening is a horrible idea.
But, there is no need to worry, you can definitely consume some of the alternative drinks that we’ve discussed while you recover from this treatment.
Also, read – Ants On Toothbrush Indicate Diabetes?