There are a lot of ways to help keep your mouth healthy and happy. It's important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly as part of your dental care routine. But there are also a few extra tips you can follow to improve your oral health, like avoiding or limiting items that can stain your teeth. Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in southern Missouri and we have the inside tips on how to help protect your teeth from stains. Read on to learn more!
Dark Berries
Berries are full of flavor and can help give the rest of your body an immune boost. However, it can also cause lasting stains on your teeth due to the dark pigments that they contain. If pieces are stuck or left behind, they can continue to cause even darker stains as they sit there.
Acidic Foods
Not all acidic food cause stains, but the high acid content in them can wear away your enamel, making teeth weaker and more susceptible to stains. Foods that are high in acid content and also stain causing are particularly harmful. One example would be tomato sauce. Tomatoes contain a lot of acid and also can cause significant stains due to their pigmentation.
Hard Candies
Candies that contain a lot of artificial dyes can be harmful. If it stains your tongue, it can also stain your teeth. Chew-able candy still isn't healthy for your teeth, but hard candies are typically held in your mouth for longer periods of time. This extended contact with your teeth gives the sugars and dye more time to cause damage.
Your Daily Coffee
Coffee is a fairly acidic drink and can cause dark stains. Most of us have had a little mishap with coffee and had to face the stained consequences. Imagine what drinking coffee every day could do to your teeth over time. If you drink your coffee with milk, it could lessen the resulting stains somewhat because milk is more basic and can help reduce the acidic content of the beverage. Milk also has a high calcium content which can help strengthen teeth. Just make sure you aren't using a creamer with high sugar content. This will actually weaken your teeth, making them more susceptible to stains.
Red & White Wines
Red wine contains tannins that can stain teeth. We know that red wine is a powerful stain-causing agent to clothes and tablecloths, so it makes sense that it can also cause dark stains on our teeth. White wine is not necessarily safe, however. While it isn't darkly pigmented, it does have a high acidic content that can damage teeth and lead to discoloration.
Sodas
It's not just darkly-colored sodas that can stain teeth. Soda, in general, contains a huge amount of sugar and acid that erode enamel. Without this protective covering, your teeth are much more susceptible to stains setting in at a deep level.
How to Prevent Stains
Other than avoiding these items completely, which can be difficult, Access Dental has some great tips to help keep your teeth brighter and healthier! If you do eat or drink something acidic or stain-causing, drink a full glass of water afterward. This can help rinse away the stain causing materials and fortify your teeth with fluoride from the water. Using a straw is another great way to help limit stains, as it keeps the stain-causing beverage away from your teeth.
Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in the Springfield area. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy, bright smile, contact us to set up an appointment! We can help by checking your oral health and making a plan to help improve it. We also have great, convenient whitening services that you can use at home for complete and safe teeth whitening. We can't wait to work with you!
Your Missouri Dentist
Access Dental and Dentures is the best dentist in the Springfield area. If you are struggling to maintain a healthy, bright smile, contact us to set up an appointment! We can help by checking your oral health and making a plan to help improve it. We also have great, convenient whitening services that you can use at home for complete and safe teeth whitening. We can't wait to work with you!
We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile!
1-877-DENTIST
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