You've chosen professional teeth whitening services. Now you're on the road to a healthy, bright smile. Whether you have staining from what you've been eating or drinking, an injury or another reason, an in-office process can take your smile from dull and drab to a super-star level. Even though you'll leave the office with a whole new look, the dental care doesn't stop there. Taking care of your smile can help to extend the effect and keep your pearly whites looking – well, like pearly whites. How can you make the most of your teeth whitening after your appointment is over?

Avoid Staining Foods

Okay, so you don't have to avoid staining foods or beverages forever. But, you might want to stay away from them in the first few days after the whitening treatment. Your teeth may be more vulnerable to staining immediately after the process is done. Beverages and foods to avoid include red wine, coffee, tea, dark beer, soda, chocolate, beets, carrots and spinach. Along with these, anything with dark or bright food colorings (such as red frosting or purple cookies) should take a backseat to lighter fare.

Watch Out for Acids

Dark foods and drinks aren't the only ones you might want to avoid immediately after whitening your teeth. Acidic foods and beverages may erode the enamel and cause damage to your teeth. That said, small amounts of drinking acidic beverages through a straw can minimize the effects. What foods and drinks are acidic? Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits along with tomatoes are some of the top culprits to limit.

Colorful Dental Care Products

Along with foods and beverages, high-color dental products are also items to avoid in the days after the whitening service. This doesn't mean that you should stop caring for your teeth. You need to brush twice a day for at least two minutes (and floss too) to keep your mouth healthy and your smile bright. When you choose post-teeth whitening care products look for pastes and mouthwashes that aren't heavy on the dyes. Instead of blue gels, try white pastes. Also avoid blue, deep green and purple mouthwash products. Some dental patients use prescription toothpastes or mouthwashes. If your dentist has prescribed a specific product, continue using it unless your dental pro says otherwise.

Getting whiter teeth can brighten your face, and your attitude too. Instead of hiding your smile, you'll actually feel excited about showing it off. After the teeth whitening process is done, keep the brightness going and protect your teeth with some simple at-home care. For more information, check out http://www.vfdental.com.