Tips and Tricks – The Zoom Whitening Treatment “White Diet”

You can get your brightest smile with the Zoom in-office whitening procedure at Gables Sedation & Family Dentistry, but don’t lose it at dinner the same night! In order to keep that new brilliant smile, you need to follow a “white diet” for 48 hours.

Discolored teeth?

Over time, your teeth can develop stains from aging, food, drink, smoking and other factors. These stains can penetrate through the enamel and change the color of the layer of the tooth beneath the enamel, known as the “dentin.” The enamel of your teeth is translucent, but as the color of the dentin darkens, the color of your teeth takes on a yellow or stained appearance.

How does Zoom work?

The Zoom procedure is a whitening gel that is light-activated. As the gel breaks down, oxygen can enter the enamel and dentin, bleaching the treated areas. Your teeth are not damaged through this process.

How to keep your teeth white after Zoom

Once you have had your Zoom treatment, it is important to maintain a “white diet” for 48 hours to prevent discoloration. This diet is not difficult, but you must be sure to follow certain guidelines while eating and drinking. Remember, it’s only for 48 hours, after which you can enjoy your favorite foods again – and your brilliant, white teeth.

White foods – white teeth!

A good rule of thumb to remember during your 48-hour “white diet” is avoid eating or drinking anything that would stain a white shirt. If you can stick to that idea, plus a few other rules, your teeth will remain sparkling and bright – long after 48-hours of the ‘white diet” are over.

Drinks

Stay away from tea, coffee and cola. These are some of the biggest culprits in causing the deepest stains. Avoid any drinks that are colored or fizzy. Stick to mineral water, tonic water, and if you really need to have milk, skimmed is best. When it’s cocktail time – drink no red wine, beer or any alcoholic beverage with color.

Foods

Again, avoid anything that is colored! Chicken, turkey or white fish are great as long as they have not been deep fried. You can eat white rice or pasta, with a white sauce. Enjoy potatoes that are mashed, boiled or baked (but do not eat the skin). No carrots, peas, corn, broccoli – you get the picture, nothing with color.

Most fruit is acidic, so for 48-hours limit your fruit intake to only bananas. Try to stay away from anything made with butter, cream or whole milk.

No colored toothpaste or mouthwash!

Along with colored foods and beverages, you should also avoid toothpastes or mouthwashes with color in them for the full 48-hours of your white diet.

Why is a white diet so important?

Your teeth have tiny pores that have been opened during the Zoom whitening process. As it takes a couple of days for these pores to close, your teeth can be very easily stained, if you are not careful to avoid colored foods, drinks and oral care items.

Gables Sedation & Family Denistry

At Gables Sedation & Family Dentistry, we want all of our patients to enjoy a bright, white smile. If you have any questions about the Zoom teeth whitening process or the 48-hour “white diet” that you should follow after it, please contact us.