What Foods Stain Teeth: Common Culprits

Many people wish that their teeth were whiter. One thing you may not realize is causing your teeth to be discolored is what you eat. The foods you eat can actually have a significant effect on the color of your teeth. Join Urgent Dental as we dive into some of the most common foods that can stain your teeth.

• Coffees & Teas
  Tea and coffee are both highly acidic, which can weaken the surface of your teeth, making them more susceptible to staining. Tea and coffee also both contain tannins, which help their coloring stick to your teeth. There is some evidence that having milk in your tea or coffee can help reduce the amount of staining.
• Sauces
  Dark-colored sauces such as soy sauce, tomato sauce, and curries also cause staining. Switching to lighter or creamy sauces can help mitigate some of the staining.
• Fruits & Berries
  There are many vibrant fruits that can stain your teeth. Think of the fruits that can stain your clothes – pomegranates, cherries, blueberries, and blackberries, to name a few. In the same way that they can stain your clothes, they can stain your teeth.
• Sodas
  Sodas are highly acidic thanks to their carbonation. In addition, the dyes in these drinks – including light-colored ones – can cause staining. There are also chemicals in the drink that eat away at your enamel.

How to Mitigate Teeth Staining

You can do several things to mitigate the effects of food on the color of your teeth. While cutting out the food listed above would be the number one way to reduce their effect, even we enjoy having them so we’ve included things you can do to reduce the staining while still enjoying your favorite foods.

• Use a straw.
  Using a straw when drinking your favorite beverage helps reduce the amount that the drink’s acidity and coloring come into contact with your teeth.
• Brush after you eat.
  Brush your teeth about 30 minutes after you eat food that can stain. It’s important to wait a little bit of time for the acidity in your mouth to balance out so you don’t cause additional damage.
• Rinse your mouth.
  If you cannot brush your teeth after eating, rinsing your mouth with water can help reduce the acidity of your mouth and remove some of the staining agents from your mouth.
• Visit your dentist.
  Having regular checkups and teeth cleanings at your dentist is a great way to help your smile stay beautiful.

We provide teeth cleanings and proudly offer teeth whitening services in the Charlotte, NC, area. Please call our dental office at 704-246-3507 to schedule an appointment for teeth cleaning or whitening.