Halloween is just around the corner, which means you might be indulging in a little extra candy this month. Then right afterHalloween is the winter holiday season, where there’s no shortage of sweets (and often plenty of wine for adults).
While these treats may taste delicious, certain foods and beverages can contribute to tooth staining, making your smile not quite as brightthis holiday season.
It’s not just holiday treats either: everyday staples like coffee, soda, and certain sauces can lead to tooth staining, too.
If you’re wearing braces or aligners, foods and drinks that stain your teeth could affect the appearance of your aligners or the areas of your teeth thataren’t covered in a bracket. And you won’t want those stains to linger when you get your braces off!
Discover the foods and drinks that can stain your teeth, and tips to preventing and treating teeth stains so you can enjoy a bright smile this holiday season.
Top 6Foods That Stain Teeth
Below is a list of top foods and drinks that can stain your teeth, and what you can do after you eat or drink them to try and reduce staining.
1. Candy, Chocolate, and Sweets
Any sweets or candy that are dark in color— think dark chocolate — can cause teeth stains. Candy made with artificial coloring, like gummies or lollipops, can also contribute to stains, too. Not to mention that hard, gummy, and sticky candy can be detrimental to braces and other orthodontic treatments.
If it leaves your tongue a bright color after eating it, that’s probably a clear sign it could lead todiscoloration of your teeth. Not to mention the sugar content in candy is damaging to the health of your teeth in general and can lead to costly cavities down the line.
2. Coffee and Tea
A big question we often get at Premier Orthodontics is, “Does coffee stain your teeth?”
Unfortunately, if you like to wake up each morning with a fresh cup of coffee or tea, the answer is yes.
The dark color of coffee, along withtannins— a chemicalcompound that can lead to discoloration — is the culprit for staining. Tannins are found not only in coffee, but other beverages like tea, wine, and chocolate.
Tea also contains tannins. The darker the color of the tea, the more likely it is to stain your teeth. Black tea is the strongest, whilelighter colored teas like green tea have fewer tannins.
The longer you steep your tea (creating a darker color) the more tannins, and themore tooth staining.
3.Fruitsand Vegetables
You might be seeing a trend here — the darker the food or drink, the more likely it is to stain your teeth. That goes for fruits and veggies too.
Fruits and vegetables that are bright in color —like strawberries, blueberries, or beets, can stain your teeth.
Butin general,thehealth benefitsfrom these foods strong in antioxidants outweigh the negatives.After eating thesefruits or veggies,simplydrink water, rinse with mouthwash, or brush your teeth tohelpprevent staining.
4.Tomato Sauce, Soy Sauce & Balsamic Vinegar
While its dark redcoloris a clear sign it could cause tooth staining, tomato sauce has an additional negative impact on your teeth due to its acidity.
Found in many foods and drinks, aciditycauses the colorto stick to the enamel on your teeth.
Other sauceswhich are dark in color like soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, or curry, can have the same effect.
5.RedandWhiteWine
You’re probablyassuming thatonly red wine should be avoided since it’s dark in color. While this istrue,the color of the wine isn’t the only issue with tooth staining.
It’s also acidic, which can damage your tooth enamel and cause staining. All wine is acidic, butwhite wine is actually more acidic than red,which can break down your tooth enamel and make it more susceptible to staining from other foods.
6. Soda and Sugary Drinks
Apart from other negative health factors — like their highsugar content andlink to rising obesity rates—soda is damaging to your teethin more than one way.When mixed with bacteria already present in your mouth, the sugar found in soda creates acid.
Soda and other sugary drinks — like sport or energy drinks — can lead to teeth stains. But sugar-free sodasarestillacidicandaren’t a great substitute for a few reasons.
These sugar-filled drinks not only cause damage to tooth enamel, leading to stains but can cause cavities andtooth decay, too. It’s better to choose a healthy substitute, like sugar-free light-colored fruit juice, or fruit-infused water.
Tips to Prevent Teeth Stains
It’s not realistic to completely avoid all the foods and drinks above to keep your smile bright.Luckily, there are some alternative options forwhat you can do before or after you consume these foods and drinks to prevent or lessen the staining.
Use A Straw When Drinking Beverages Mentioned Above
- Byusing a straw,you can prevent drinks from lingeringon your teeth and causing damage to your enamel and discoloration.
Go for Lighter Colored Fruits and Vegetables, or MixWithDairy Products
- While you don’t have to completely avoid all healthy and dark fruits and vegetables, you might try lighter colors, like apples, melons, or cauliflower.
- Another tip for fruits like berries is to combine them with dairy products like yogurt or milk to lessen their staining effect. Make a healthy and delicious smoothie and you’re good to go!
Avoid Adding Extra Sugar to Coffee or Tea
- While it’s the tannins in coffee and tea that can lead to stained teeth, many people forget that adding sweeteners, sugary creamers, or syrups is an additional issue due to the sugar content.
- Try to avoid these additives when possible and stick to milk or unsweetened milk alternatives.
Brush Your Teeth
- Brushing your teethafter eating staining foods is essential.
- But if you’re consuming something acidic, like coffee or fruit, be sure to wait a minimum of 30 minutes. The acid weakens the enamel in your teeth, so waiting to brush canprevent damaging the enamel.
Drink Water
- You probably knowdrinking plenty of waterthroughout the day is a healthy lifestyle choice, but it’s also crucial to preventing stained teeth.
- Right after consuming staining foods or drinks, it’s helpful to drink water to rinse off the color and acid and prevent teeth stains.
The Best Foods for Teeth
Beyond all these foods you should avoid or eat less of, there are also foods that are beneficial to the overall health of your teeth.
The tricks above can help prevent tooth stains, but they’re also great ways tokeep your teeth healthy in general.The nutrientsin healthy foods can help strengthen your teeth and gums, fight against bacteria, and prevent cavities and tooth decay.
Ensure your mouth and teeth are getting all the attention they deserve.
Learn more about the best foods for your teeth >
