Foods And Drinks Which Stain Your Teeth!
There are a few things to remember in order to maintain your pearly white smile. To maintain white teeth you must ensure to you commit to regular dental visits, perform proper tooth brushing and flossing after every meal, avoid smoking and mind what you eat.
Various foods and drinks can cause stains on the tooth surface, as a general rule, darker coloured foods and vegetables have a higher probability of staining teeth. Aside from food colour, acidity can cause tooth abrasions; this makes the enamel thinner hence exposing the second layer of the tooth which is yellow in colour. Furthermore, acid makes the tooth more vulnerable to staining.
Here is a list of common foods and drinks that stains teeth:
- Topping the list is tea. Aside from causing stains, tea is known to cause erosion to the tooth. There are a lot of varieties of tea, some of which can cause less tooth stain such as green, white and herbal tea. Teas like English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and black tea can cause tooth staining. Coffee can also stain teeth, as your teeth easily absorbs the colour from the coffee. Add milk to lessen tooth stains due to coffee.
- Next we have wine, both red and white wine. Not only can they cause tooth stains, wine is also acidic.
- Carbonated drinks are also notorious in causing tooth stains because of their acidity. Furthermore, it can cause erosion on the tooth surface. Lighter coloured carbonated drinks can also cause stains due to the acidity.
- Berries including blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, cherries, grapes, pomegranates, and other intensely coloured fruits can cause stains. The same goes for juices made from these highly pigmented fruits. The more concentrated the juice, the higher chance of tooth staining.
- Another culprit in staining teeth would be deeply coloured sauces – soy sauce, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar and curry.
- Acidic food and drinks such as sports and energy drinks are also known causes of stained teeth. The acidity can erode the tooth surface making it more susceptible to staining.
To generalise, if a particular food or drink can cause stains to a table cloth, the same would go for the tooth surface. Avoiding these foods could be difficult, but here are a few natural things you could do to lessen the chances of tooth staining.
- After drinking wine, carbonated beverages or any acidic drinks, drink water. This would rinse away any tooth staining substance that have attached to the tooth surface.
- For carbonated drinks and fruits juices, a straw could help. Drinking through a straw lessens contact of the drink to the tooth surface especially for the front teeth.
- Eating crunchy fruits and vegetables – apples, celeries, carrots, strawberries following any stain causing food/drink.
- Do not brush immediately after meals; wait around 30 minutes to an hour. After eating our teeth are acidic, brushing immediately will cause abrasion to the tooth surface.
- Perform proper oral hygiene. Use a soft bristled brush, stroke each surface of each tooth 20 times, and floss after brushing. Avoid or limit the use of tooth whitening toothpaste; these contain high amounts of abrasives that can damage the tooth surface.
Hopefully, with these handy tips you will be able to enjoy a balance between the foods you love and your pearly white teeth!
