How to Stop Red Wine and Coffee from Staining Your Teeth
They may be two of the most popular beverages, but red wine and coffee are the lead culprits for staining your teeth.
So what should you do if you can’t start your day without a cup of joe, or end it without a nice glass of pinot? Here’s how to keep your teeth white without giving up your indulgences.
Coffee: Coffee stains teeth because the polyphenols it contains sticks to the enamel. Adding cream or whole milk to your coffee will bind to the polyphenols and stop them from binding to your teeth. Only animal milk will work though, not soymilk or nut milks. However, adding any creamers or milk to your coffee with help decrease the staining potential a little, simply by lightening it.
Red wine: Nothing goes with wine quite as well as cheese. This is good news for your teeth! The calcium in cheese makes it hard for the red wine to stick to your teeth’s enamel. Harder cheese will work better than soft cheese. If there’s no cheese around, look for other foods that can act like a natural toothbrush. Foods high in fiber, like broccoli and cauliflower, are good choices.
For both:
- Brush your teeth before you drink a staining beverage. Both coffee and wine are highly acidic and will soften your tooth enamel, so brushing immediately afterwards may do more harm than good. Try to wait at least 20-30 minutes after consuming these beverages.
- Maintain good oral hygiene with whitening products. Swap your regular toothpaste and mouthwash out with for ones that have whitening properties. Whitening products have abrasives that gently polish teeth and chemicals that help break down and dissolve stains.
Sources:
- http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/healthy-mouth-14/beautiful-smile/stains-teeth?page=1
- http://www.quora.com/How-can-I-keep-drinking-coffee-and-prevent-my-teeth-from-getting-stained
- http://www.byrdie.com/how-to-prevent-red-wine-stains-teeth/slide3
- http://magazine.foxnews.com/style-beauty/how-avoid-red-wine-stained-teeth
