Teeth Whitening and Tea

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I just got my teeth whitened today and absolutely love how they look. I want them to stay this way forever. My dentist warned me that drinks such as coffee and tea will stain my teeth again so I want to make sure I brush carefully to keep them nice and white. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I do love a good cup of tea. I read that you shouldn’t brush before you drink tea because it opens the tubules in your teeth and will then cause the staining to absorb faster. However, I’ve also read not to brush after drinking tea because of its acidic nature. So, if you can’t brush before or after, when should you brush when it comes to tea?

Mindy

Dear Mindy,

tea in a white cup and saucer

How does tea affect your teeth whitening?

I’m glad you are loving your new whiter teeth. It is one of the most affordable ways to give your smile a dramatic makeover and look years younger at the same time. Taking care of it will help the results last longer. It sounds like that’s exactly what you plan to do.

Brushing Your Teeth Before Drinking Tea

Your dentist is correct that beverages like tea and coffee will add stains to teeth. Brushing your teeth before drinking will not cause your teeth to absorb the tea more. The exception to that is after having dental work done. While your toothpaste won’t open the tubules on your teeth, the teeth whitening procedure will. They will stay open for a few days and then the plugs will redevelop and close them. This is also why some people find their teeth a little more sensitive after having their teeth professional whitened.

Since you’ve just had your procedure done, I’d ease up on the tea for a couple of days.

Brushing your Teeth After Drinking Tea

There are some places on the internet where blogs have warned about brushing your teeth immediately after drinking coffee or tea. They reason that tea is acidic, which softens the enamel and so if you brush while your enamel is softer you will wear away enamel. However, tea isn’t really that acidic and if you are brushing with a soft brush, I can’t see this being a problem. Enamel is extremely hard and the small amount of softening that occurs from drinking a mild acid like tea is not going to make it wear away with simple toothbrushing. Besides, your saliva has buffering agents.

The Colgate website, while it recommends waiting 30 minutes after drinking orange juice before you brush to avoid damaging your enamel, actually recommends brushing right after drinking tea to reduce the staining effects of tea. The reason is that the pH of citrus juices can be around 2.0 while the pH of tea is around 4.9 to 5.5, much closer to a neutral 7.0. That would be what I would recommend also. If you can’t do that, rinsing with water right after could help. You can also minimize the staining of the tea by just drinking it rather than slowly sipping or worse, holding or swishing it around in your mouth.

Keeping that Bright White Smile

Because you said you had your whitening done today, I’m guessing you had Zoom Whitening done, which allows you to get your teeth whitened in just one appointment. Your dentist should have supplied you with some at-home trays for follow up treatment. Keep those. Then, in a couple of years, you can ask your dentist for some teeth whitening gel and use that in your tray for a quick touch up. This will allow you to keep that stunning smile for a fraction of the cost.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Whitening Your Teeth with Clorox Bleach

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I have a friend who bleaches her teeth with Clorox. I was worried when I heard about this. Is she going to damage her health from this, or is it okay?

A worried friend

Dear Worried,

teeth whitening trays

You sound like a good friend who is trying to do everything you can to keep your friend safe. The good news is, unless she’s swallowing it, she’s not likely to die. I have a cosmetic dentist friend who had a patient who did this too. He joked that, although he couldn’t recommend it, for reasons I’ll elucidate in a moment, he wasn’t that concerned.

Here are some of the issues to consider when it comes to using something like Clorox bleach. This chemical is a base, which makes it very corrosive and can burn living tissue. Additionally, if it mixes with certain other types of chemicals it can react and turn into toxic chlorine gas. But if she is swishing with it quickly, she may be avoiding any tissue damage.

When is it Safe?

Almost all dentists were taught in dental school to use bleach to dissolve the dead organic debris and disinfect the canals in a root canal treatment.

According to PubMed, it is also safe to do periodically as an oral rinse, but only diluted. They recommend a 1:20 ratio in the dilution.

Get Teeth Whitened in One Appointment

The Clorox is a slow process that has to be repeated over and over. While it may get her teeth a bit whiter, it is also likely causing tissue damage. Instead, she can get her teeth as white as they can get in just one appointment with Zoom Whitening. It’s fast and safe. That may appeal to her.

Avoid the Bleaching Police with Professional Teeth Whitening

According to a label on Clorox Bleach, “It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.” If she doesn’t listen to the fact that it can burn the tissue in her mouth, maybe you can tell her about the bleaching police.

Suggesting she get her teeth whitened safely with a dentist is a good thing. Maybe she’ll listen. Then again, she may live on the wild side and already be a federal fugitive by ripping off the tag on her mattress.

I’m sure she’ll appreciate how much you care about her.
This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.

Can You Whiten Dental Bonding?

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I have dental bonding on my two front teeth because of chips. I liked how they looked at first, but it’s been a few years and they’re starting to pick up stains. Can I whiten them or do they require something else to get them back in shape?

Penny

Dear Penny,

before and after images of dental bonding for chipped teeth

Unfortunately, you won’t like the results if you use teeth whitening in this situation. What will happen is your natural tooth structure will whiten, but the dental bonding will remain the same. This will make them look even worse. You have a couple of options in order to get these back in shape.

The first thing you can do is have the dental bonding re-done. This is the most affordable option. It’s okay to whiten your teeth in that case, if you’re looking to make them brighter because your dentist can match the new bonding to your whiter teeth. As you know, based on your current experience, these last for several years.

You have a second option if you are looking for something which lasts longer than bonding. Porcelain veneers can last for at least a decade. However, they are much more expensive than bonding.

Who Should Do Your Cosmetic Dental Work?

When it comes to having any type of cosmetic dental work done, you don’t just want any dentist to do it. Instead, you need someone who has some expertise both in a technical understanding as well as some artistry. Dental bonding is done free hand, so an artistic eye is imperative.

So how do you know if your dentist has what it takes?

The first thing I would do is ask to see some before and after images of actual cases they’ve done. If you’ve decided to do dental bonding to repair your chips, ask specifically to see those type of cases. if you’ve decided to get porcelain veneers done, then I would ask to see his veneer cases.

If you don’t think they are stunning, don’t use that dentist. Be picky. These are your teeth. You want a perfectionist creating your smile.

This blog is brought to you by East Cobb Dentist Dr. Cristi Cheek.