That eyes-half-open stumble to brew the first pot of coffee is sacred ritual for many of us each morning. The soothing steam drifting up from our favorite mug promises to supply the caffeine needed for coherent thought and functioning. But what if that treasured mug now competes for space alongside adhesive strips slathered across your teeth for whitening purposes? In this post we talk about Can You Drink With White Strips On.
It seems simple enough to slap those strips on while starting to sip our morning brews. Yet conflicting advice floats around the web about combining coffee and whitening strips. Will the ingredients in coffee undermine those precious peroxide-infused strips battling stains on our enamel? Or can coffee sippers finally relax and indulge freely even with plastic clinging to their teeth?
Let’s settle this debate once and for all by investigating how coffee and whitening strips chemically interact in the mouth. Read on to learn whether you should resist temptation or feel free to gulp down a fresh pot without worry while undergoing whitening treatments.
How Teeth Whitening Strips Function
Before assessing coffee’s potential impact, it helps to understand exactly how over-the-counter whitening strip systems brighten all those stains accumulated from red wine, coffee and other stubborn offenders.
Whitening strips utilize reservoirs filled with hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide that sits right up against the enamel surface. These chemical lighteners penetrate deeply to oxidize pigment molecules that have become trapped over time. Breaking large pigmented compounds into smaller fragments helps reflect more light, creating that coveted gleaming smile.
In addition to peroxide, most strips contain water, glycerin and adhesives to help the plastic reservoirs adhere tightly to teeth so solution stays put. Essential oils also join the mix for fresher flavor during the 30 to 60 minute treatment duration before strips get tossed and results admired!
Can Coffee Remove Whitening Benefits?
Now that we understand what’s in those little plastic trays, we can dive into coffee’s potential impact when enjoying our daily cuppa simultaneously with whitening treatments.
The good news is that coffee alone doesn’t seem capable of instantly reversing peroxide’s stain destroying benefits or actively restaining teeth significantly if consumed during the short window strips are adhered.
However, coffee and other pH acidic beverages can temporarily dull results and sheen right after whitening sessions by opening microscopic pores on the enamel surface. And while strips are in place, coffee’s pigments might slightly limit contact between peroxide gel reservoirs and underlying enamel here and there.
For those reasons, avoiding any food and drink for the duration of whitening treatments allows peroxide to work most effectively with zero barriers or interference. But in reality, this proves difficult for coffee lovers to withstand!
Drink With White Strips On
While not completely ideal, limiting coffee intake volume, temperature and contact time during whitening treatments checks the boxes for safety and satisfaction by following certain best practices:
• Rinse mouth with water before applying strips to reduce staining risk from any coffee residue lingering on teeth from prior consumption. Wait at least 20 minutes after finishing coffee before starting a whitening session.
• When drinking coffee during whitening treatments, sip small volumes slowly and carefully without actively swishing liquid inside the mouth. Beverage movement can displace strips and undermine adhesive contact.
• Allow any hot coffee to cool down closer to room temp before sipping to avoid irritating sensitive gums and intensifying any whitening side effects like sensitivity.
• Try to hold off on drinking darkly pigmented coffee varieties to limit contact between staining compounds and whitening strip solution reservoirs on the enamel surface area.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of cool water which can help rinse away coffee compounds. Prioritize having water before/after the whitening and coffee drinking windows.
While abandoning coffee for 30 to 60 minutes completely avoids any undermining effects, following these tips allows you to strategically indulge in moderation with lower risk interfering with whitening strip results.
The Takeaway: Enjoy Coffee In Moderation When Whitening
Ultimately a little strategic indulgence seems unlikely to instantly reverse peroxide whitening efforts, though swishing and extensive contact between staining beverages and strips should be avoided. Prioritize water, rinse mouth before treatments, allow coffee to cool to limit sensitivity issues, select lightly pigmented brews, and sip only small volumes for best results balancing coffee enjoyment and whitening goals. Here’s to keeping your gorgeous smile without abandoning morning coffee comfort. I hope this Can You Drink With White Strips On post helps you.