Restricted vs. unrestricted diet during dental bleaching

A pigment-free (i.e., “white”) diet may not need to be followed during dental bleaching.

In a systematic review and network meta-analysis published in the Journal of Dentistry, investigators assessed whether certain diets or consuming foods with coloring could impact the efficacy of dental bleaching. They used the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, LILACS and SciELO databases to identify seven clinical trials focused on dental bleaching outcomes among patients who followed a white diet — in which participants avoided foods and beverages with pigments — or an unrestricted diet incorporating foods with pigments.

The investigators found that compared with the patients who received grape juice, coffee, tea, wine and cola or followed an unrestricted diet, the patients who followed the white diet experienced comparable color changes during dental bleaching. Consumption of pigmented foods and beverages were not found to significantly alter the effectiveness of treatment with bleaching agents.

The findings suggested that restricting the diet during dental bleaching may not be required.

Read more: Journal of Dentistry

The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.