How To Drink Coffee After Teeth Whitening
Your dentist can professionally whiten your teeth and help improve the appearance of your smile in a single professional whitening treatment. Once you get your pearly whites to their optimal shade, the last thing you want to do is to stain them again. But what about your morning cup of coffee? Do you have to give up coffee to keep your teeth bright and white? Absolutely not. While it's true that coffee can lead to unsightly yellowing, there are some things you can do to help your professional teeth whitening treatment last longer, while still enjoying your cup of joe.
Drink Quickly
The powerful bleaching agent that your dentist uses is known for being more effective than at-home kits, simply because it's stronger. Teeth whitening treatments work by opening up the tubules in your tooth enamel. This chemical reaction allows the bleaching agent to penetrate deep into your teeth, giving you immediate significant results. Because the chemical reaction continues on for several days -- meaning your teeth might keep getting whiter after you leave your dentist's office -- it's important to avoid coffee for at least a few days.
Once your dentist lets you know it's okay to start having coffee again, drink it quickly. This doesn't mean you need to chug your hot cup of coffee, rather, drink it in a shorter time frame. The longer you spend sipping on a cup of coffee, the longer those stain-causing agents continue coming into contact with your teeth.
Use a Straw
If you really must sip on your cup of joe all morning long, or if you typically enjoy several cups of coffee, consider using a straw. Those plastic straw-like coffee stirrers work just fine. Using a straw minimizes the chances of that stain-causing coffee hitting your front teeth. This can decrease your risk of future stains and help your professional teeth whitening treatment last as long as possible.
Rinse Immediately
Coffee is known for being acidic, which is part of the reason why it leads to surface stains on your teeth. That acid temporarily weakens tooth enamel, which can open you up to yellowing and staining.
Instead of brushing right after your morning cup of coffee, swish your mouth with water, and spit it out several times. Because the acidic effects of coffee can go on for up to 30 minutes or more, it's best to wait about an hour before brushing your teeth after you take your last sip.
While your professional teeth whitening treatment isn't permanent, it can certainly last for months at a time -- even if you're a coffee drinker. Once you start noticing some discoloration coming back, you can safely have your teeth whitening treatment repeated at your dentist's office.
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