Foods and Drinks That Are Notorious for Staining Your Teeth

You’re brushing faithfully — you’ve even tried the best electric toothbrushes. You’re flossing. You’re using mouthwash. 

And yet, your teeth are still discolored! What’s the problem?

Unfortunately, the issue probably lies in your diet. There are quite a few food and drink options Dr. Minh Nguyen and the team at Portrait Dental have seen that are notorious for staining your teeth. 

Here’s a look at a few so you can keep your teeth as white as possible!

Coffee and tea

Coffee may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about teeth discoloration. Coffee stains show up on your teeth as a yellow discoloration; these stains are caused by tannins, a naturally occurring chemical that can cause colored compounds to stick to your teeth. Tannins are also found in tea — in fact, black tea contains more tannins than coffee. (One trick to cut down on stains: add 2% milk to your tea, and it’ll reduce the staining power.)

Red wine

Acidic food and drinks such as red wine can roughen or etch the enamel on your teeth. This process opens up the pores in your teeth and allows the dark particles of red wine to adhere to the surface of your teeth. 

Tomato sauces

These bright red sauces (such as spaghetti sauce) are also acidic, causing the red color to linger on your teeth. To fight this discoloration, rinse your mouth out with water after you’re finished eating. You can also chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production and neutralize the acids.

Dark berries

Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, and pomegranates may be delicious, but they’re also highly pigmented, so dark colors can attach to your teeth after eating these as well. Rinsing your mouth with water when you’re finished eating is a good idea here as well.

How to fight tooth discoloration

If you want to fight tooth discoloration, you have a couple of options. First, you could eat or drink less of the foods and drinks that cause the problem! 

We understand this isn’t entirely realistic, so our team does offer two services that can help. Our in-office teeth whitening procedure can make your smile up to eight shades later in one treatment! The procedure involves a bleaching solution and a special laser that triggers a chemical bleaching reaction that leaves your teeth bright and sparkling.

If your teeth are extremely discolored, veneers may be a good option for you as well. Veneers are thin ceramic shells that cover your teeth while still looking natural. They provide a bright, even smile while covering your discoloration.

If you’re ready to say goodbye to your stained teeth, our team at Portrait Dental can help. To make an appointment, call our Katy office at 501-381-1621, or use our online scheduler to book your own time. Your teeth will be white before you know it!