After a visit to your dentist’s office, you leave with a radiant, confident smile. So, how do you keep that smile working for you all year round? The trick is to keep up with your dental hygiene routine but to also avoid foods that can stain your teeth. That’s right- there are foods out there that can do damage to your teeth, giving them the appearance of being dull and yellow.
A person’s self-esteem and confidence is so tightly tied to the color of their teeth and oral health that it’s worth it to avoid foods that will make your teeth stained. Here are a few foods that you should avoid:
Acidic foods with citric acid
One of the biggest culprits of yellowing teeth is from nutritious citric fruits. Sure, these fruits are packed with vitamin c and are great for your health, but go easy on them. The wonderful fruits can erode away your enamel, making your teeth sensitive to cold and heat. When your enamel is eroded away, you also reveal dentin, which is a yellowish tissue underneath your enamel.
Sugary foods and drinks
Both sugary foods and drinks will stain your teeth because the sugars create a playground for bacteria to feed off of. The more sugary foods and drinks you take in, the more bacteria will wear away at your teeth, causing holes. These bacterias release acids that cause things like tooth decay, which will definitely put you on the fast track to stain your teeth a much darker color. Reduce the amount of sugary foods and drinks you put into your mouth to avoid stained teeth.
Coffee
Coffee is another culprit when it comes to acidic foods and drinks that can stain your teeth. Experts advise drinking coffee with a top lid instead of a straw or an open cup, in order to reduce the amount of coffee that makes contact with your teeth. Like the other acidic foods and drinks mentioned about, coffee also erodes away at the teeth’s enamel and allows other foods to continue to do damage, staining your teeth.
Wine
Yet another delicious treat that we need to talk about, wine can actually create holes in your teeth that help other foods stain your teeth, just like coffee. On top of that, wine is known to give your teeth a dull, gray colored stain, which is more difficult to remove than yellow stains. The plus side is that red wine is thought to help prevent cavities, so keep your wine drinking in moderation.
Keep these foods in mind while protecting your teeth
Foods that stain your teeth can do incredible damage to both your smile and your self-esteem. Avoiding the foods and drinks talked about above is the best way for you to maintain a wonderful smile year round. Also, remember to come to Belvedere Dentistry for your yearly cleaning and for a dental check up. We will help you keep your smile radiantly confident, stain-free, and welcoming throughout the year.
