Red Wine and Coffee After Teeth Whitening

During teeth whitening treatment, a bleaching agent is applied to the surface of the teeth. This bleaching agent whitens the tooth enamel itself. That means that the stains aren’t removed per se but rather the entire tooth structure is whitened. Multiple sessions may be necessary to help achieve the optimal level of whitening.

Dr. Bruce E. Treiber gets many questions from patients about tooth discoloration after they’ve undergone whitening treatment. The team at our Canton, OH dental care center would like to consider the risk of stains after teeth whitening and what can be done about it.

Can My Teeth Get Stained After Teeth Whitening?

Yes.

Even though teeth whitening treatment bleaches the entire tooth structure, that does not mean that the tooth enamel is stain resistant. You can still experience tooth discoloration as a result of smoking, eating certain foods, and drinking tea, coffee, and wine. In fact, the natural aging process can have a negative effect on the appearance of your smile over time.

Thankfully there are a lot ways to minimize discoloration in the long run. Our Canton dental care team provides the following advice to many teeth whining patients to help ensure long-term results.

Tips for Drinking Coffee After Teeth Whitening

Here’s some advice for keeping your teeth bright and white while having coffee:

• Add Some Milk - A splash of milk cuts the acidity of coffee and also lightens its color to reduce staining. It can be whole, skim, soy, almond, or half and half. Just a little bit can be helpful over time.
• Use a Straw for Iced Coffee - If you have a thing for iced coffee, use a drinking straw. It will help the iced coffee bypass your front teeth and keep your smile looking fresh and clean.
• Drink Water with Your Coffee - A little bit of water to drink with your coffee can remove some of the stain-causing residue left on your teeth.
• Brush Your Teeth - Brushing your teeth after having coffee removes the last of the stain-causing residue from your smile. Wait 30 minutes to do so since the acidity of the coffee temporarily softens tooth enamel.

Tips for Drinking Wine After Teeth Whitening

Here’s some advice for keeping your teeth bright and white while enjoying wine:

• Consider White Wine - It won’t pair with everything, but white wine will stain your teeth less than red wine. Consider a little white wine every now and then.
• Sip Water with Your Wine - Having water with your glass of wine is a nice way to remove stain-causing residue. You can discreetly swish the water between sips of wine.
• Brush Your Teeth - As with coffee, wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth to keep your smile clean and protect the tooth enamel from harm.

Touch-Up Teeth Whitening Treatment

Over time, your teeth are likely to become stained again. When they do, you can undergo touch-up teeth whitening sessions. We can discuss this and other ways of enhancing the appearance of your smile in more detail during a consultation.

Learn More About Teeth Whitening

If you live in Canton and would like more information about teeth whitening and enhancing your smile, be sure to contact a skilled cosmetic and restorative dentist. You can reach us by phone at (330) 478-4949.