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Coffee and wine are a huge part of our culture and lives. The National Coffee Association reports that coffee is America’s favorite beverage, and the United States is the biggest consumer of wine in the world. Many Americans rely on coffee to help them start their day, and who doesn’t enjoy a nice glass of vino to wind down for the night? While these beverages are a welcome treat for many people’s taste buds, the same can’t always be said about their teeth.
Wine and coffee are notorious culprits for leaving teeth stained and yellow. These beverages contain tannins – complex substances made from phenolic acids – that stick to plaque on teeth and build up on enamel to produce stains on teeth. Over time, these stains will become more noticeable. For many of us, giving up these beverages isn’t a sacrifice we are willing to make, but how can we consume our favorite drinks and still keep our sparkling smiles?
Lucky for you, Simply Smiles has come up with a few useful tips for helping to prevent coffee and wine stains on your teeth:
- Drink water after consuming staining beverages. Drinking water at the same time or after consuming staining beverages will help wash away the particles that cause stains. It will also help ensure you are hydrated and producing saliva that will help protect your teeth.
- Drink from a straw. Drinking from a straw will allow the drink to bypass your teeth so there is little to no chance of it causing stains.
- Brush your teeth before consuming wine and coffee, or wait at least 30 minutes to an hour after to brush. Brushing your teeth helps remove food and drink particles that could cause staining, but it’s important to brush either before or wait 30 minutes to an hour after you have the drink. The acid in coffee and wine can soften the tooth enamel, and brushing right after you consume these drinks could cause even more damage to the enamel.
- Pair these drinks with crunchy food or cheese. Crunchy foods like carrots and broccoli help clean your teeth and remove debris as you eat them. Cheese is also a great pairing with wine not only for the complimentary flavors, but because the calcium makes it harder for the wine to stick to the tooth’s enamel.
- Add milk if possible and choose drinks with less caffeine. Animal milk in coffee will help soften its staining effects and will also bind to the polyphenols (staining substances) to make sure they don’t stick to your tooth enamel. It’s important to remember that this benefit is exclusive to animal milk, not milk substitutes or creamers that contain sugars which can also be damaging to teeth. While caffeine is often a huge reason why people drink coffee, if that’s not an important factor for you, picking a decaf option may be in your best interest as the more caffeine a beverage has, the more powerful its staining effects are.
- Regularly visit your dentist and consider professional whitening treatments. Maintaining regular dental visits will allow a hygienist to remove the plaque buildup off your teeth and polish the stain away to reveal your brilliant smile. If you think you might need some extra help with whitening, you can consult with your dentist on professional whitening treatments.
Keeping your teeth sparkling doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up the drinks you love. There are many precautions and practices you can implement to protect your teeth while still enjoying your coffee and wine. If you think you might need professional help with whitening your teeth, Simply Smiles offers in-office bleaching and at-home bleaching treatments. Call our office today, and we’d love to discuss the whitening treatments that will work best for you and your smile!
Sources:
https://www.parkerfamilydentists.com/blog/proven-avoid-red-wine-coffee-stains-teeth/31903
https://tryonfamilydentistry.com/best-ways-to-prevent-coffee-or-wine-stains-on-your-teeth/
https://www.castledental.com/how-to-stop-red-wine-and-coffee-from-staining-your-teeth/
https://www.mariettaroswelldentist.com/5-tips-to-stop-your-favorite-drinks-from-staining-your-teeth/
https://www.ncausa.org/Newsroom/Coffee-continues-to-reign-as-Americas-favorite-beverage
https://www.winedeals.com/blog/post/wine-statistics-around-the-world
http://odd.doq.mybluehost.me/services/cosmetic-dentistry/#1556534764121-6205ab21-d437