Can I Eat Peanut Butter After Teeth Whitening?
Teeth whitening is widely used to improve the colour of teeth.
But since the treatment is done through gels, creams, and other chemical products, people often ask:
Can I eat peanut butter after teeth whitening treatment?
Dentists usually forbid us from eating or drinking for several hours to let the whitening chemicals dissolve in our teeth.
Eating may affect the treatment, and you may end up swallowing the treatment chemicals.
Not only just peanut butter but there are other foods and drinks that you need to know whether you can take them or not after the whitening procedure.
Let’s start by discussing peanut butter for a bit.
Can I eat peanut butter after teeth whitening?
Peanut butter is a healthy and nutritional food, but you should refrain from eating it for about 48 hours after teeth whitening treatment because it is a sticky food that may stick to your teeth and spoil the treatment.
Since whitening treatment needs a reasonable amount of time to dry off, in that time, it is not good to eat peanut butter in any form.
Even after that time, you should still maintain proper oral hygiene to avoid staining your teeth. Therefore, don’t be in a hurry, and let the whitening chemicals dissolve completely before you eat peanut butter.
What will happen if I eat peanut butter after teeth whitening treatment?
Teeth whitening gel involves the application of a gel that takes time to dissolve on your teeth. If you eat peanut butter in that condition, it would stick with gel and stain your teeth.
What’s more, removing such staining could be a challenging job that can’t be done by yourself. It is better to wait for the recommended time before you eat peanut butter; otherwise, you may fail your whitening treatment and fall into further expenses.
What is a teeth whitening procedure?
The teeth whitening process is a simple and widely used procedure to give fresh white colour to teeth that have been turned yellowish over time from drinking coffee, red wine, smoking, or simply ageing.
Generally, there are two ways to whiten your teeth; teeth whitening and teeth bleaching.
A teeth whitening procedure restores the natural colour of your teeth by removing colours and stains from the tooth surface.
Bleaching is like colouring your teeth with a tooth-like white colour beyond the natural colour.
What is best; teeth whitening or teeth bleaching?
We suggest you go with teeth whitening because it removes yellowish stains from your teeth and gives you back an original teeth colour.
Although it is a bit of a lengthy and costly process, it is far more professional and practical than teeth bleaching.
This is because, in teeth bleaching, you are only colouring your teeth and hiding the stains, yellowishness, and other dirt. However, if you are in a hurry and can’t afford much, teeth bleaching is helpful in that case.
How long does the whitening effect last?
Teeth whitening is not permanent; for people who take excessive foods and beverages, their whiteness starts to fade.
Simply put, the more you keep your teeth safe from coloured foods, the more your whitening treatment will last.
Here are some tips to help your whitening last longer:
Avoid foods and drinks that stain
Anything with acids or tannins can discolour your teeth. To keep your smile bright, limit the intake of red wine, sports drinks, soda, black tea, and coffee.
Avoid tobacco
Cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco can discolour your teeth. Avoid all such things, and you will have whiter and healthier teeth.
Sip through straw
By using a straw, you won’t be allowing drinks to attack your teeth. The drink will directly get into your mouth without touching the teeth much.
What are some other foods to avoid after Teeth Whitening treatment?
Apart from peanut butter, some other foods and drinks may also spoil whitening treatment.
These includes:
Coffee
We understand it is hard to say no to coffee. But it is important to avoid it for at least one day to get a good whitening result.
Dark tea
Dark tea is worse than coffee for your teeth, so avoid it for 2 – 3 days as well after your treatment.
Wine
Red wine contains acidic properties and dark colours, which can cause tooth discolouration.
Fizzy drinks
They’re acidic and full of artificial colours; avoid these drinks as much as possible.
Fruit juices
Avoid fruit juices such as lemon and orange because they contain high concentrations of acids.
Sweets and Chocolate
Your teeth are at risk of staining if you don’t limit them. Avoid candies, chocolates, biscuits, and other sticky sweets.
Tobacco
Smokers are recommended to limit smoking as it is one of the reasons to make your teeth yellowish. Nicotine, narghile, and other smoking products are also prohibited.
How do I know if I need a Teeth Whitening treatment?
Teeth whitening is an artificial procedure to give a better look to your teeth. That is, you should only use this treatment when you need it. Otherwise, excessive whitening attempts may lead to side effects on your teeth.
Consider teeth whitening treatment if:
- Your teeth have discolouration like yellow, red, etc.
- You are a chain smoker or take coloured juices.
- You never have, or you rarely get this treatment.
- You have just had your braces removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the important and mostly asked questions and their answers regarding the teeth whitening treatment.
Do teeth whitening treatment damage teeth?
No, it doesn’t!
If you use whitening products as instructed, you won’t get any side effects.
However, if you rub the bleach or gel too harshly, it will affect your teeth as vigorous teeth brushing does.
I’m feeling sensitive after teeth whitening – what to do?
Teeth sensitivity is relatively common after the whitening treatment, even though about 60% of people in the United States have naturally sensitive teeth.
That happens because teeth become temporarily dehydrated, which lowers their ability to insulate the nerve from temperature changes.
Sensitivity will go away 12 – 36 hours after treatment, so no need to worry about that!
Can stains on teeth be removed overnight?
There’s currently no product available that can whiten your teeth in a few minutes or even a day. No whitening agent can safely delve deep enough into the teeth at that speed.
The whitening process can take anywhere from around four days up to several months. Severely stained teeth require patience as a single whitening session cannot remove years of colours.
[alert type=”info” icon-size=”normal”]In summary, the duration of whitening treatments depends upon the severity of the stains on the teeth.[/alert]
Can caps and veneers be whitened?
Caps and veneers cannot be whitened because they are designed to match the colour of your surrounding teeth at the time of instalment.
Neither can be re-coloured using a whitening treatment.
What causes tooth staining?
Several variables can cause the staining of teeth, some of them include:
Age
There is a direct relationship between the age of a tooth and its colour. Teenagers have a high probability of receiving quick results from whitening procedures. As the teeth begin to show a yellow cast in the twenties, whitening may require greater effort and lengthier procedures. By the forties, yellow stains turn brown, and a more effective whitening treatment will be needed.
All in all, teeth whitening becomes tougher as a person ages because stains continue to grow more complex and severe.
Eating habits
The excessive consumption of red wine, coffee, tea, cola, carrots, oranges, and other deeply-coloured beverages and foods cause extensive staining over the years.
Further, acidic foods such as citrus fruits and vinegar may lead to enamel erosion.
As a result, the front teeth can become slightly transparent, and more yellow-coloured dentin may show through.
Smoking habits
Smoking is one of the foremost enemies of teeth colour.
Nicotine can create brownish spots that slowly soak into the tooth structure and cause discolouration.
Poor oral hygiene
Irregular or nonsufficient teeth cleaning can make light stains darker.
It is recommended to brush your teeth at least two times a day, once in the morning and once before you go to sleep, to uphold proper hygiene.
Rinse your mouth properly after eating or drinking to remove food colour.
We recommend using miswak, a natural and effective way to remove food colours from teeth.
The Bottom Line
Teeth whitening cannot be completed by the treatment alone; it is essential to follow instructions and limit coloured foods to maintain bright teeth.
Avoid foods such as peanut butter for a time after procedures to allow treatments to work effectively.
We hope it is clear that there are crucial specifications regarding teeth and whitening treatments. You are now prepared to have proper treatment!
