Who doesn’t like to have a bright and beautiful smile? However, it requires more than just brushing and flossing twice a day. Several factors such as ageing, trauma to teeth, and certain medications cause discoloring and stains. While these things are difficult to control, your dietary habits are also one of those factors that greatly affect the colour of your teeth. Foods and drinks with relatively higher acidic content and/or dark pigment are often the main culprits.
Foods and Drinks Causing Teeth Discolouration
We’ll look at some of those foods and drinks that are among the top offenders that cause teeth discolouration and have them lose their sparkle.
1. Tea & Coffee
Probably the most notorious amongst the others, these popular breakfast beverages contain tannins which can cause the colour compounds to stick to your teeth and thus is the main reason behind these drinks causing teeth discolouration.
Moreover, both tea and coffee are acidic in nature and thus, lower the pH in your mouth. As a result, they can make your teeth susceptible to staining from other food products.
Now, the good thing here is that you can minimise coffee or tea-induced stains by adding a little milk to it. It has been found that milk contains a protein called casein that counters the staining effect of these drinks. Also, instead of the regular variety, you can opt for green, white or even herbal tea that contains comparatively fewer tannins.
2. Red Wine
Red wine, like tea or coffee, is acidic – similar to all acidic food products, it can roughen and open up the pores within the enamel.
As the enamel of teeth becomes rougher, dark particles within the foods and drinks tend to stick to the surface of the teeth and result in staining.
3. Fizzy and Sports Drinks
Sports drinks and sodas are full of sugar and can stain your teeth yellow upon regular consumption. The acidic nature of these drinks result in the erosion of the tooth enamel.
As the enamel wears off, the underlying dentin tissue becomes exposed. Interestingly, dentin is naturally darker and yellower than enamel and thus, can have your teeth look discoloured.
4. Berries, Fruit Juices and Some Vegetables
Berries such as blackberries, blueberries, cranberries and some fruits such as pomegranate and grapes contain dark pigmentation.
This dark pigmentation, in the form of very tiny organic particles, can penetrate the pores in the tooth enamel and remain etched there. If the pores are bigger and larger in number, the stains can be more stubborn.
Consuming these fruits directly or in the form of juices can give your teeth a darker hue that is often unsightly.
In vegetables, beetroot has the same stain-inducing effect on your teeth.
5. Soy Sauce and Balsamic Vinegar
It’s not only the sugary foods that can adversely affect your pearly whites. Some savoury products such as soy sauce and balsamic vinegar can stain your teeth dark too if consumed frequently. Just like the berries, these items are also dark pigmented and stain your teeth just the same.
Moreover, vinegar is basically a dilute acid and we have already gone through the enamel-eroding property of acidic foods. It is best to consume these items in moderation if you want to maintain your perfectly bright smile.
6. Tobacco Based Products
It is universally known that smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes or chewing tobacco as a habit can significantly stain your teeth.
All the tobacco-based products contain nicotine which itself is colourless but can stain the teeth yellow or brown in the presence of oxygen.
Moreover, smoking cigarettes and cigars will lead to the formation of tar, which is naturally dark.
It can be clearly understood that all such foods and drinks that are acidic, high in sugar or contain dark pigmentation can lead to discolouration of teeth. However, that doesn’t mean you should stop consuming them altogether. Having them in moderation along with an optimal oral hygiene routine and a few tips can help you retain those pearly whites and smile with confidence.
Just as we mentioned, it is possible to minimise or prevent discolouration. There are a few tricks and tips that you can use at your home itself to deal with stains.
Some Useful Tips to Fight Stains
- Brush your teeth after consuming a stain-causing item
- Swish with water after consuming a stain-causing item
- Keep away from tobacco products
- Drink fruit juices using a straw whenever possible
- Practice a healthy oral hygiene routine
These tips typically work for preventing or minimizing stains. However, if you are already dealing with persistent stains, these tips won’t be as handy in removing those stains. This is where you’ll need clinical intervention in the form of professional teeth whitening treatment.
If you have teeth that are significantly stained or discoloured and want to have your bright and white smile back, we at Perfect Smile can help you with it. Our teeth cleaning and whitening treatment can return your bright smile and help you feel better inside and out.
Using today’s cutting-edge technologies, our team of highly qualified and experienced clinicians can help you achieve a whiter and brighter smile.
We are one of the most trusted dental practices offering top-quality dental care at six different locations in the UK.
As well as cosmetic dentistry, we also offer treatments under several different categories such as general dentistry, Invisalign and special treatments such as dental implants.
To book an appointment, contact our nearest practice today.
