Teeth Staining – The Worst Offenders and Why!

It happens to the best of us. No matter how healthy our teeth are, or how dedicated to our oral routine we are, we can still find ourselves hiding behind a row of stained teeth. The truth is – no matter what preparations we take, sometimes we just can’t shift the effects that our diet has on our teeth. You see, just like a cream carpet, white tablecloth, or favourite shirt, our teeth are susceptible to food and drink stains too!

With this in mind, let’s take a look at the top 5 worst offenders and what we can do to combat the problems…

 

Offender # 1 – Tobacco

 

You guessed it! Whatever form of tobacco you smoke – be it cigarettes, pipes or cigars – it’s without a doubt one of the biggest enemies of pearly white teeth. The dark brown tobacco filters into the microscopic grooves in tooth enamel and becomes extremely difficult to remove just by brushing alone.
Offender # 2 – Coffee & Tea

Who doesn’t love a kick of caffeine to perk them up in the mornings? Well we hate to break it to you, but your pick-me-up cup of coffee might also be discolouring your teeth. Unfortunately, excessive drinking of dark coffee will stain your teeth. But before you opt for tea instead, unfortunately that’s not so innocent either; in fact it can be even worse for staining! If you can’t live without tea and coffee, we suggest adding more milk to help dilute some of the pigment or at least drink water afterwards to help lessen any potential staining.

 

Offender # 3 – Red & White Wine

You probably already know the staining hazard of drinking red wine, but did you know that white wine is also a major culprit? It’s high in acidity and creates small grooves in the teeth for stains to settle in. Since eroded enamel makes it easier for other foods to stain, it’s a bad idea to eat anything highly pigmented straight after a glass of wine because your teeth will be at their most vulnerable!

 

Offender # 4 – Sauce

While tasting delicious, dark sauces such as tomato, curry, and soy, have some serious tooth staining potential. Not to mention the fact that tomato sauce is super-high in acidity. Try switching things up with lighter sauces – give your taste buds a change and your teeth a break!

 

Offender # 5 – Sports Drinks & Cola

Aside from a great deal of sugar, nearly all sports drinks and fizzy drinks like cola contain high acidity and dyes. In fact even lighter coloured drinks can cause staining along with tooth erosion.

Top tip – Try drinking your beverages through a straw! Using a straw means that the drink will go straight down the back of your throat and minimise any contact with your teeth – that said, drinking red wine through a straw on a night out might not be your best look…but then again, each to their own we guess.

 

In reality, unless you lead a monastic lifestyle, you probably don’t want to avoid every single food and drink that may or may not stain your teeth. Thankfully you don’t have to. At 44 Dental we offer a wide range of stain removal techniques that will help you in your quest for whiter brighter teeth. These include:

 

  • Dental scaling
  • Tooth whitening
  • Micro-abrasion and resin infiltration
  • Oral hygiene advice

 

Give us a call us today on 0116 251 9647 and talk to our experienced team about restoring your pearly-white smile.

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