Foods that Stain

Nothing is worse than seeing your once bright smile seem dim and dingy. The culprit may in fact be the foods you are eating. There are a variety of foods that most of us consume on a daily basis that will stain our teeth and ultimately ruin our once bright smiles. While Roger’s Center for Dentistry in Spanish Fork offers teeth whitening by experienced and knowledgeable dentists, we recommend you try and stay away from the foods listed below as much as possible.

• Black Coffee. While this caffeine boost is often a “necessity” in most people’s lives, it can cause your white smile to dim. It is said that adding cream or milk to your coffee may help to prevent staining.
• While wine can be beneficial to your health in various aspects it also contains polyphenols that cause tooth staining. The alcohol within your wine will also cause damage to your teeth due to the acidity that will wear away your tooth enamel. To help prevent staining or erosion, rinse out your mouth with water soon after drinking wine.
• Cola Drinks. These sugary drinks are often the worst for your teeth. While they are bound to stain your teeth they also cause tooth decay and enamel erosion. Drinking cold cola drinks cause even more damage as the cold makes the enamel in your teeth very porous and vulnerable to staining. If you must drink cola drinks try and do so through a straw.
• These yummy summertime treats are often the worst when it comes to staining your teeth. The dyes used in popsicles tend to stain not only your lips but your mouth as well. The cold Popsicle also causes your tooth enamel to become very porous and more vulnerable to staining.
• Soy Sauce. This sauce has a tendency to actually stick to your teeth. Its dark pigment will cause staining to your once pearly whites. If you have to partake of this sauce on your sushi, rinse out your mouth with water after consuming.
• Tomato Sauce. This sauce is known to be highly acidic. Acidic foods cause the enamel on your teeth to become weak and more susceptible to stains. By eating a foods such as spinach before consuming tomato sauce, you can provide a protective layer on your enamel against the acidity.

While you can’t avoid all of these foods, there are ways you can prevent ruining your beautiful smile. Visiting one of our highly skilled dentists at Roger’s Center for Dentistry in Spanish Fork will help to keep those pesky stains off of your teeth. For more information about teeth whitening and the other dental services we provide, call one of our friendly customer service associates today.