Are your teeth not quite as bright as they used to be?
Two possible reasons could be related to your genetics, as well as to the tests of time. These both can play a key role in the color of your teeth. But perhaps the biggest cause of discoloration could be related to your daily diet. On any given day, what you eat and drink can negatively impact the color of your teeth.
Two of the biggest staining culprits are coffee and red wine. But there are also many other things you consume that will take the gleam off your pearly whites. As a general rule, if a food can stain your carpet or your T-shirt, it can also stain your teeth.
Here are some surprising, as well as not so surprising tooth staining culprits.
- Sports Drinks– They promote electrolyte replacement and rehydration, but they’re not so great for your teeth. Most sports drinks are high in acidity, so they’ll wear down your enamel. This will make your teeth more susceptible to staining – either from the ingredients from these drinks, or when you consume other foods. They’re also high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, which will contribute to tooth decay, and cavities.
- White Wine– Red wine for sure, but white wine? While it won’t stain your teeth as much as red wine, drinking white wine can also stain your teeth. How? It contains a lot of acidity and tannins. Both red and white are very acidic, which breaks down your enamel, allowing for stains to penetrate the surface of your tooth. So, drinking white wine may not directly discolor your teeth, it can make your teeth more susceptible to stains from other foods you consume with your glass of white wine.
- Gummy Vitamins– They might be good for your body, but maybe not so great for your teeth. In fact, vitamin gummies vitamins have three qualities that can damage your teeth. Sugar, citric acid and stickiness. Citric acid wears down your tooth enamel, which makes your teeth more prone to discoloration. It also makes teeth more susceptible to cavities. As for the sugar, the bacteria in your mouth feed on it and can produce even more acid as a result. Gummy vitamins are also sticky, so remnants get stuck within your teeth. This in turn allows the sugar and citric acid to linger in your mouth.
- Tea– Move over coffee and wine. When it comes to staining teeth, tea is the champ! Tea has higher levels of both acid and tannins, two prime teeth staining elements. The darker your tea, the higher potential it has to stain your teeth. Whether you drink it iced or hot, either way will discolor your teeth.
- Curries– Curry is a delicious sauce. It’s rich in color and flavor, but curries also rank high in tooth staining power. This is due to 2 of their main ingredients: Turmeric and saffron. These ingredients help give curries their flavor and color, but their pigments will also leave a yellowish tint on your teeth.
- Watch the Ketchup– The high acidity level of tomatoes combined with their bright red color can wreak havoc on the enamel of your teeth. Whether it’s spaghetti sauce, soup, or even the ketchup on your hot dog, If you love tomatoes, and they’re a regular part of your diet, you can expect them to discolor your teeth.
Most of us probably can’t quit these foods and beverages. But we can be mindful to follow up with a little extra oral hygiene care, like flossing, and brushing, and drinking plenty of water to help neutralize acids, and flush out food debris. And it doesn’t hurt to stay on top of your semi-annual teeth cleanings.
But if you find that you want to give your beautiful smile a little cosmetic tune-up, we can offer you some excellent teeth whitening options, either instant in-office whitening, or custom take-home whitening.
When you’re ready to brighten your smile, please call us at (206) 524-1000 to schedule your whitening consultation or schedule a whitening consult online.