Let’s face it: we all want to keep our teeth shiny and white and have that perfect smile. However, there are foods and drinks we consume daily that can discolour teeth.
Before you find out what stains your teeth the most, let’s discuss tooth discolouration.
Tooth Discolouration
Tooth discolouration is a common problem and can happen as a result of surface stains, certain changes in the tooth structure, genetic factors and other environmental factors.
Certain foods and drinks can also cause teeth stains (we’ll discuss more below) and cavities or tooth decay. Tooth decay is also called caries and is caused by bacteria in your mouth, not cleaning your teeth and sipping sugary foods and drinks. In other words, if it is something that could colour your clothes, then chances are, it could also stain your teeth.
Foods that Cause Teeth Staining
Here are the most common foods that may stain your teeth.
Coffee & Tea
Black coffee is the number one enemy of white teeth. Our teeth are porous, meaning they absorb the liquid we put into your mouth. The darkness of black coffee can stain your teeth, even if you only have one cup a day.
Tea, on the other hand, is full of tannins that will also stain your teeth. The darker the tea, the more likely it is to stain your beautiful, white teeth.
Sports Drinks/Juices & Soft Drinks
Sports/energy drinks, juice and soft drinks can erode enamel, leaving your teeth sensitive to stains.
Red Wine
The main contributors to tooth staining are the tannins and acid found in red wine. Just like coffee and tea, wine is an acidic drink meaning it can erode enamel. The acidity is also found in white wine.
Sweets
Who doesn’t love chocolate and cookies? Sadly, sweets can colour your tongue, which means they can also cause teeth stains.
Curry
We know curry is super tasty but it also causes teeth stains. It is acidic and highly saturated, so we advise you to brush your teeth 30minutes after eating.
Berries
As healthy and delicious berries are, they are just another tooth-staining food to be conscious of.
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar is super tasty as a salad dressing; however, it is highly pigmented, meaning you need to watch out for its effects on your white teeth.
Smoking
Yes we know it’s not a food/drink but smoking, unfortunately, has a lot of chemicals that can cause your teeth to stain and discolour as well.
What You Can Do About Teeth Stains?
Now that you know what stains your teeth the most let’s see what you can do about it.
There are various treatment options to get rid of teeth stains. By maintaining an oral health routine and by limiting the use of teeth-staining foods and smoking, you will be able to keep your teeth white and shiny.
If you are not happy about the colour of your teeth, talk to our teeth whitening experts.
Contact Rockingham Dental for quality teeth whitening services. We can help you figure out what is the cause of discolouration and suggest the best ways to improve your teeth’s colour.
