Despite eating a healthy diet and good oral hygiene, it is inevitable that sometimes we will get stains on our teeth caused by the intake of some drinks or foods, since most of them contain large amounts of sugars or acidic components.
These components we’re talking about wear tooth enamel and sometimes cause stains on your teeth. For example, fried tomato or foods or beverages that contain red fruits are prone to spoil the pearly white of the denture.
The cause of these stains are the chromogenic substances that contain some foods or beverages that adhere to the enamel and it is what causes stains to appear on the teeth. Drinks are usually more likely than food to cause tooth stains and cause damage to enamel. This is because we ingest more drinks than solid foods and liquids take advantage of the porosity of the enamel to embed in them and fit into the dental parts.
To prevent this from happening, we will let you know which foods and drinks you should drink sparingly to prevent dental stains from appearing.
Drinks and foods that damage enamel and stain teeth
Coffee or tea
These two drinks are the great enemy of tooth enamel as they are the ones that cause the most damage. The cause of this is because they contain tannins that can cause permanent stains if these two drinks are abused.
If you can’t live without tea, we recommend opting for white or green teas as they have fewer tannins and cause less damage to tooth enamel.
Wine
Wine can cause dental stains because in its composition there are tannins and in addition, its acidity and chromogens darken and transform the teeth to a light purple tone.
Other alcohols and sugary drinks
If you like soft drinks you should know that their acidity makes the teeth more porous and therefore cause the appearance of spots more quickly.
As a general rule, the high rate of sugars not only damages the enamel generating stains, but also contributes to cavities.
Meals containing artificial or natural dyes: curry powder, soy sauce and vinegar
Curries containing turmeric or sauces such as soy or vinegar have a high coloration rate and have dark, sticky pigments. These substances can be introduced into tooth enamel and as a result, generate stains on the teeth.
Fruits and vegetables with intense colours
Those fruits and vegetables with very powerful pigments such as beetroot, blackberries or cherries, stick to tooth enamel and if not accompanied by a good subsequent brushing, can damage the enamel considerably.
Foods that contain a high degree of acidity can erode the enamel and this makes it easier for dyes to enter the porous surface of the tooth enamel by damaging it. Luckily, this erosion can be avoided or corrected with ALL•IN•ONE (Wintegreen and Snowmint) products.
The abuse of chlorhexidine mouthwashes and high tobacco use are also one of the reasons for tooth stains.
Foods that will help you keep your teeth healthy and white:
Fruits and vegetables
If there is a beneficial food for our tooth enamel, it’s apple. Thanks to its texture and fibre, it promotes the segregation of saliva thus helping to neutralize the harmful acids for the enamel and also prevents the appearance of cavities.
Celery, cauliflower or carrots are also recommended vegetables to keep the white of your teeth.
Dairy
It is known for all that calcium helps to improve and strengthen teeth and also contributes to the segregation of saliva, which, as we have said before, neutralizes the acids that damage the enamel. So milk and its derivatives: cheeses, yogurts… are good allies to keep your teeth healthy and white.
To maintain the good aesthetic condition of your teeth, we recommend that you consume this type of food and beverages in a moderate way, and also, carry a good brushing regime and subsequent use of mouthwash (we do not recommended that you do not use chlorhexidine).
As we have already discussed in other posts, dental stains are usually symptoms of future cavities, so we recommend that you do not lose sight of your oral hygiene and that you use toothpastes that help slow the appearance of these stains.
