A bright and radiant smile is the best accessory for anyone.
Do you want to preserve your glowing smile even as you age? You can, by practicing good oral hygiene and paying attention to the food and drink you consume.
There are types of food that stain teeth permanently that can potentially affect your smile. It’s essential to know which ones to avoid for a lasting natural smile. To help you, we’ve prepared a list of top teeth-staining foods and drinks.
Types of Tooth Discoloration
Before we head to the list of foods and drinks that stain teeth, let’s discuss the basics first. Tooth discoloration has three types:
- Age-Related Stains – As the name suggests, this type is a result of aging. As people age, tooth enamel gradually wears down, causing teeth to have a yellowish color.
- Intrinsic Stains – This type affects the inner layer of the teeth, causing them to have a gray appearance. Some of the common causes include decay, injury, damage, and genetics.
- Extrinsic Stains – Unlike the preceding type, this superficial type of stain affects the outermost layer of teeth. It is mainly due to using tobacco and consuming pigmented food and drinks.
Top Drinks and Foods That Stain Teeth
If you’re wondering what food stains teeth, you’ll be surprised to find out that some of them are a part of your diet.
Here are the top teeth-staining foods and drinks:
1. Soy Sauce and Vinegar
Soy sauce is one of the most common seasonings used in cooking. It is also considered one of the top foods that stain teeth. While it adds flavors to your stir-fry dishes and soups, its dark coloring may linger on tooth surfaces.
Vinegar is a staple in almost every household. Similar to soy sauce, it is known to be one of the top teeth-staining foods. Its high level of acidity wears down enamel, making teeth susceptible to discoloration.
2. Curry
Curry is a common spice in Indian cuisine and exotic dishes. Not only is it known for its strong aroma and flavor, but it is also considered a teeth-staining food due to its deep pigmentation. With its high staining factor, it can yellow teeth with overconsumption.
3. Tomato-based Sauces
Tomatoes contain lots of essential nutrients. While they’re good for your body, too much can be detrimental to your teeth. Tomatoes are highly pigmented — which explains their deep red color — and acidic at the same time. With these traits, tomatoes also make it to the list of foods that stain teeth.
4. Wines
Wines are also foods and drinks that stain teeth. Red wines contain pigments and tannins, which are two of the biggest staining offenders. Additionally, red wines have high acidity levels, which contribute to the development of tooth erosion.
If you’re thinking of switching to white wines, that isn’t a good idea either. White wines exhibit higher acidity levels compared to wines, so you may want to limit your consumption as well.
5. Sodas
Sodas are always included in most lists of food and drinks that cause teeth discoloration. It’s not surprising since they contain a lot of sugar and phosphoric acid, both of which are great contributors to tooth enamel wear.
All soda types — dark, clear, regular, and diet — are among the top drinks that stain teeth. They all contain high acidity levels regardless of their color, which is reason enough for you to steer clear of them.
6. Sports and Energy Drinks
Sports and energy drinks make it to the list as well. Many people think that these beverages are better than sodas, but they aren’t. As much as they improve a person’s athletic performance, sports and energy drinks have high acidity levels that contribute to enamel dissolution, according to the findings of a 2012 comparative study.
7. Coffee9
Coffee is an essential part of most people’s breakfast. Its tannin content makes it one of the most common teeth-staining drinks that people consume every day. Experts say that one cup of coffee a day is already enough for tooth discoloration to develop.
8. Tea
Teas also contain tannins. If you are a tea enthusiast, go for white, green, and herbal teas to minimize tooth enamel damage.
9. Some Fruits and Vegetables
Some fruits and vegetables, beetroots, blueberries, pomegranates, and grapes, also make it to the list of the top teeth-staining foods. These contain dark pigments that stick to enamel and impair the appearance of teeth over time.
10. Candies and Popsicles
Candies and popsicles are the last on our list, but that doesn’t mean that they’re less aggressive. Their artificial colorings stain your lips, tongue, and teeth. Candies and popsicles also contain high sugar levels that wear down tooth enamel and expose dentin, the yellowish layer underneath it.
Advanced Dental Group Is Here To Help
Now that you know what food stains teeth, steer clear of them as much as possible. Limit your consumption and practice oral hygiene to maintain a naturally perfect smile.
If you notice any sign of discoloration, seek help from dentists right away. Advanced Dental Group is here to help you. We’ve partnered with the best dentists from different areas of the United States and can connect you to them. They can provide you with tooth whitening procedures and educate you more about the teeth-staining food and drinks to avoid. Contact us today!
