Getting your teeth whitened requires you to make some short-term sacrifices in regards to the food you eat for at least the first two to three days after whitening. That includes condiments too. If you love your condiments during mealtime, you may have to do without some of your personal favourites for a short while.
Many of Australia's favourite condiments, such as tomato sauce (ketchup) can undo the effects of whitening, and even cause enamel erosion.
If you are getting your teeth whitened soon, remember to avoid the following condiments for at least the first 48 hours.
1. Vinegar
No matter what type of vinegar you enjoy with your meals, they are all acidic, which means you should avoid them if you have just whitened your teeth.
Teeth whitening works by opening up the pores in tooth enamel to allow the hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent to penetrate teeth.
However, this procedure also causes your teeth to become dehydrated and brittle for a short while. The last thing they need then is a continuous dose of acid. The acid will penetrate the open pores, causing you pain and possibly damaging your tooth enamel in the process.
2. Tomato Sauce
Another enemy of newly whitened teeth is rich colour pigment, such as that found in tomato sauce. The minute staining particles can easily penetrate the open pores of a tooth, causing staining. Tomato sauce is also acidic.
3. Brown Sauce
If you thought you could turn to brown sauce instead of tomato sauce, forget it. Brown sauce contains vinegar and will damage newly whitened teeth.
4. Tartar Sauce
Although tartar sauce is white in colour, meaning it won't stain your whitened teeth, it contains lemon juice; therefore, you should avoid it for 48 – 72 hours.
5. Soy Sauce
Not much needs to be said about soy sauce except that it is dark--very dark--and so will stain your newly whitened teeth.
6. Mustard
Mustard contains spices such as turmeric and paprika, among other things. These spices are high on coloured pigment, so you should avoid them. Mustard also contains vinegar, meaning you should avoid it at all costs for at least 48 hours after whitening.
Unfortunately, you won't have many options in terms of condiments until your teeth have fully recovered from the whitening treatment. Most condiments contain acidic ingredients or are heavy in staining molecules. You could turn to sour cream, which is low in acidity or olive oil, although these aren't quite as delicious as some of those on the above list!
You could even try to make your own versions of the above condiments in advance, minus the pigments, lemon juice and vinegar, though you would have to get very creative. Also, try eating foods that go well with white sauces, such as fish or chicken instead.
But perhaps the best thing to do is simply to hold off eating these condiments for two to three days while your teeth recover. Otherwise, you could end up staining your teeth all over again.
