If you’ve been using any teeth whitening strips in the last day or so, you might want to be extra careful with the drinks and foods you consume. Otherwise, you may end up with a ruined smile according to New York orthodontist Dr. Sable Staller.
Dr. Staller (@bracesbysable) took to TikTok to warn viewers that the chemicals in whitening strips make their teeth porous and extra susceptible to the strong dyes found in some beverages.
@bracesbysable Avoid boue mouthwash right after you whiten! Teeth whitening opens up your tooth pores and can cause your teeth to be tinted light blue lol #teethwhitening ♬ Gorgeous – Taylor Swift
The video, which has garnered 252,500 views as of this writing is captioned, “Avoid [blue] mouthwash right after you whiten! Teeth whitening opens up your tooth pores and can cause your teeth to be tinted light blue lol.”
The video shows Dr. Sable drinking a bright blue drink through a straw and then briefly displaying her blue-hued teeth. A screen text reads, “Did you know right after you whiten your teeth if you use blue mouthwash or drink anything with superstrong coloring it can lightly stain your teeth?”
Dr. Staller’s warning about post-op teeth whitening care apparently took some of her viewers aback.
One asked in shock, “My teeth have PORES???”
You’re teeth do in fact have pores and Dr. Staller’s advice is perfectly sound. Even though teeth are covered in enamel, the material is remarkably similar to skin and contains thousands of tiny pores. According to the National Institute of Health, “the ‘natural’ white color of teeth is often compromised due to stains resulting from wine, tea, coffee, smoking, etc.”
Bleaching agents used in whitening treatments penetrate the enamel and open the pores in order to facilitate whitening. This allows the agents to do their work, but the process also leaves the pores open for anywhere between two and three days.
The best advice for keeping your newly bleached teeth from gaining an unnatural new glow is to avoid bright, artificially colored drinks and foods for at least 48 hours.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Dr. Staller via email for further advice.
