Avoid Teeth-Staining Foods and Habits
At Clifton & Mauney, our mission is to help you achieve beautiful, healthy teeth – and that means more than just in-office dental and orthodontic treatments! Your habits and routines at home have a big impact on the health of your teeth, and it turns out that diet and certain habits are some of the most important factors in keeping your teeth clean. To help you protect your teeth from stains, discoloration, and decay, we’ve compiled a list of some of the top teeth-staining foods and habits in most people’s lives. Avoid these, and you’ll be on the right track for a healthy smile!
Foods & Habits That Stain Your Teeth
- Berries: While they’re delicious and full of vital nutrients, berries like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are also prime culprits of staining teeth. They contain deep pigments that, over time, discolor teeth and cause staining.
- Balsamic Vinegar: This staple of Italian cuisine is also a common cause of stained and discolored teeth. It’s deep, dark color leaves a mark on teeth, darkening and discoloring them over time.
- Curry: Curry is a delicious hallmark of Indian cuisine, but because it contains such deep yellow pigments, it can also turn teeth yellow if eaten repeatedly.
- Coffee: A cup of joe is a morning ritual for many Americans, but it’s also a prime cause of discolored teeth. Drinking coffee on a daily basis can stain and darken teeth over time.
- Red Wine: While red wine may contain more antioxidants than any other form of alcohol, it can also stain and discolor teeth with its deep red color.
- Smoking: This habit is unhealthy in nearly every way, and that’s doubly true for your teeth. In addition to staining teeth and turning them yellow, smoking can also increase your chances for developing mouth and throat cancer.
Contact Your Chapel Hill, NC Pediatric Dentists & Orthodontists
Keep in mind that just because a food may stain your teeth doesn’t mean you have to give it up completely – it just means you need to consume it responsibly, and if possible, brush your teeth after eating it. If you have any more questions on how diet affects dental health, what else you can do to protect your or your child’s teeth, or scheduling an appointment to make sure everything looks good, we’re always here to help. Feel free to call us at 919-933-1007 or reach out to us at our contact page with any questions, or if you’d like to request an appointment at our Chapel Hill office, you can do so using our easy online form. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we hope to see you back at this blog soon for more information on protecting your dental health!
