{"id":1346,"date":"2019-09-30T20:52:13","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T01:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/delaunedental.com\/blog\/?p=1346"},"modified":"2019-09-30T20:52:15","modified_gmt":"2019-10-01T01:52:15","slug":"whiter-teeth-after-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/delaunedental.com\/blog\/whiter-teeth-after-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"For whiter teeth do i brush before or after tea?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I had teeth whitening done about a month ago and am hoping to maintain the results as long as possible. However, I\u2019m getting conflicting information as to whether I should be brushing before or after my tea. One person said that if I brush before, I\u2019m opening up pores on my teeth and they\u2019ll pick up stains quicker. Another person said that if I brush after tea, which is what I\u2019ve been doing to get the tea off my teeth quickly, I\u2019ll damage my teeth because the tea is acidic. Which is correct?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maya<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear Maya,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"womean
When your teeth are stained it can be embarrassing to smile.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re asking good questions. Your teeth whitening results<\/a> will last longer if you\u2019re mindful with your tea habits. Ideally, you\u2019d give up tea, but since that\u2019s probably not realistic, let\u2019s focus on what you can do when you indulge anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drink in One Session and Don\u2019t Sip for a Prolonged Period of Time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It sounds like you\u2019ve got this one nailed, but it\u2019s worth mentioning. People who sip on tea and coffee all morning or all day pick up stains faster than those who finish their drinks in one go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s Ok to Brush Before Tea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The concept of \u201cpores\u201d opening when you brush is an urban legend. While you do have tubules in your teeth, they have plugs in them. Very few things disrupt those plugs, but it\u2019s generally restricted to things that happen in the dental chair, such as restorative work and professional teeth whitening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tubules develop new plugs within a day or two, so you\u2019d want to avoid tea during that span so you don’t sabotage your efforts but otherwise, you\u2019re good to go in that department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be Wary of Brushing After Tea<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The problem with acidic foods and beverages is that they lower the pH of your mouth. Ideally, it should be closer to a 7.0, but a little variation in either direction isn\u2019t too much cause for concern. When your mouth is more on the acidic side (anything below 7.0), your teeth demineralize<\/a>. That means they lose calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals that make them strong and block decay. Your enamel and dentin will also soften for a period of time after consuming an acidic beverage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as your pH returns to normal, they\u2019ll pick up the minerals in your saliva (remineralize) and will harden again. Problems set in when you either don\u2019t provide your teeth with an environment to remineralize or you brush while the enamel is still \u201csoft.\u201d In doing so, you can actually remove the softened layer and it doesn\u2019t grow back. That\u2019s referred to as acid erosion, though there are several alternate causes of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the record, black tea is usually a 4.9-5.5 pH, making it one of the more acidic things you can introduce into your mouth, though it will vary depending on how you brew it and other factors. Coffee is usually around a 4.5- 6.0 pH, for comparison. Sodas and juices\u2014especially citrus juice\u2014can go as low as 2.0. Battery acid is a 0.0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rinse or Rebalance After Tea Instead of Brushing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the easiest ways to remove any residual tea is to give your mouth a quick rinse with water after you finish. If you have concerns about acid erosion or demineralization, you can also restore balance by using a pH neutral mouthwash after or by mixing one part baking soda to eight parts water and rinsing with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fluoride may be an alternative to help create stronger teeth as well, though it obviously does nothing for staining. It doesn\u2019t work in exactly the same way minerals will, but it also isn\u2019t quite as sensitive to environmental factors, which is why it\u2019s been trusted as a cavity-fighting tool for generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog is sponsored by New Orleans Dentist<\/a> Dr. Duane Delaune.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I had teeth whitening done about a month ago and am hoping to maintain the results as long as possible. However, I\u2019m getting conflicting information as to whether I should be brushing before or after my tea. One person said that if I brush before, I\u2019m opening up pores on my teeth and they\u2019ll pick […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,1],"tags":[873,877,876,874,875,878],"class_list":{"0":"post-1346","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-teeth-whitening-2","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-aiding-teeth-whitening","9":"tag-citrus-drinks-and-tooth-decay","10":"tag-demineralizing-teeth","11":"tag-staining-beverages","12":"tag-tea","13":"tag-tooth-stains","14":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nFor whiter teeth do i brush before or after tea? - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you've had teeth whitening done and love drinking tea, is it better to brush before or after to keep those pearly whites bright?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/delaunedental.com\/blog\/whiter-teeth-after-tea\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For whiter teeth do i brush before or after tea? 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