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Posted on 2/20/2020 by Lanier Valley Dentistry |
 We all want a healthy, bright white smile we see all the celebrities have on television. Unfortunately, many of the food and especially drinks we have come to love are not very good for our dental and oral hygiene or when it comes to keeping our teeth white and bright. However, there are some drinks that are of course worse than others.One of the top contenders that most of you love, that is the worst for keeping our teeth white is coffee of course. Rule of thumb. If it can stain your clothes, it can stain your teeth. Coffee contains ingredients called tannins – which is a type of polyphenol that breaks down in water these tannins are also found in wine and in tea, so, unfortunately, you wine and tea lovers, those beverages are not good for your teeth either. Those tannins cause compounds to stick to your teeth and when they stick, they leave an unwanted yellow hue behind. Your favorite cup of Joe also has other pitfalls as well. Any drink that isn't water can cause bacteria to grow in your mouth, which ultimately leads to enamel erosion. This then causes your teeth to become thin and brittle. Coffee also oftentimes cause bad breath because it sticks to the tongue. However, you can avoid these problems a little bit if you eat before you drink coffee, brush after you finish drinking and invest in a tongue scraper. What To Avoid There are many other drinks to avoid, as well if you are not wanting to stain your teeth which include, but not limited to: red wine, berry-flavored drinks that would have flavors such as, blueberries, blackberries and cherries, any type of cola drinks, black tea, sports drinks, and while they are not drinks, you should always avoid popsicles and hard candy if you want to avoid staining your teeth. Getting Rid of StainsDon't panic completely if you can't give all of those drinks up, it is possible for us to get rid of a lot of those stains during your biannual cleaning. So, it is very important to schedule your regular appointments. We encourage you to call the office to make your appointments and talk to us about your teeth cleaning and perhaps some whitening strips or a home whitening tray to help in between your biannual cleaning visit. |
