To keep your pearly whites, well, pearly white, you have to avoid certain stain-inducing foods and drinks for two days after the procedure, since your teeth are particularly susceptible to stains during this time. These include the usual suspects: coffee, red wine, dark berries, and others I wouldn't expect, like red meat and soy sauce. The advice Jen gave me is that if it would stain a white t-shirt, it would stain my teeth. And I have enough white clothing peppered with Oxyclean-immune stains to know that most of my faves were off-limits.
I grilled her about coffee: Did I have to give it up? Even if I only drink cold brew through a straw? She said it wasn't ideal, but if I diluted it with enough milk that it was more of a taupe shade, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. So I loaded my homemade cold brew with oat milk and sipped away, sticking to just one cup instead of my usual two. Although she wasn't pleased, Jen said I could drink my morning pre-workout drink, which is a bright Kool-Aid red, through a straw, which I did. Everything else was easy enough: I drank light beer and water, avoided red meat, and blended my smoothies with a banana instead of berries.
Teeth Whitening Pro: It Didn't Hurt My Sensitive Teeth
Another reason Jen chose the lower 24 percent hydrogen peroxide gel is because I told her my teeth were pretty sensitive. Sometimes when I use white strips or the at-home whitening kit, my teeth can feel incredibly sensitive and at times downright painful. I have a hard time eating or drinking anything that is too hot or too cold because it hurts my teeth. I figured the same thing would happen after getting my teeth professionally whitened, but I had no such symptoms. It didn't hurt during or after the procedure, and I didn't notice a difference when I drank something cold or bit into something hot.