Tooth Tones: How Do Certain Foods Cause Stains?

One of the first things others notice about you is the quality of your smile, and if yours looks more yellow or brown than pearly white, you might not make a good impression. Your dentist can provide different cosmetic services, like teeth whitening, to lighten your grin. However, if you’re unsure what caused the discoloration, you might accidentally restain your enamel.

Continue reading to learn more about how certain foods can tint your teeth and how you can help them sparkle!

How Do Foods Stain Teeth?

Although some blemishes can be caused by factors you can’t control, like genetics, prescription medications, or certain medical conditions, dental discoloration is often caused by eating darkly toned foods.

Some common culprits known to darken your enamel include coffee, tea, berries, and wine. These popular foods contain tannins, natural organic compounds in some plants that give them their bitter flavor and deep shade. They bond with proteins, carbs, and sugars in your mouth to cling to your enamel, which eventually stains after prolonged or repeated exposure.

Other ingredients, like cherries, curry, and soy sauce, contain chromogen, which gives them their color. These also interact with tannins and other particles in your mouth to form a layer of residue on your teeth, leaving your smile looking worse for wear.

How Can I Brighten My Smile?

If more thorough oral hygiene doesn’t improve your appearance, you might be tempted to use over-the-counter whitening solutions. Unfortunately, these products often contain diluted bleaches that are less effective. Plenty of people have overapplied or misused the product, trying to get results, only to erode their enamel and develop sensitivity.

Thankfully, your dentist can provide everything you need to obtain ideal results from your living room with a professional-grade take-home kit. They will include ultra-concentrated gels and a custom-fitted applicator tray for accurate applications that safely give you a brighter smile within a couple of weeks.

How Can I Maintain My Teeth Whitening?

Once you’ve finally achieved the perfect color, it’s natural to want to do everything you can to keep it. You can maintain your lighter grin by:

• Implementing an at-home hygiene routine. Brushing and flossing twice daily removes plaque, leftover food, and other unwanted microbes so pigmented particles have less to cling to.
• Watch what you eat. Eat lighter foods that support your dental health, like yogurt or cheese, instead of darkly toned ones.
• Scheduling periodic touch-ups. Professional teeth whitening can last six months to three years, but you may need to repeat treatment occasionally to maintain the right hue.
• Attending routine checkups. Seeing your dentist every six months allows them to monitor your condition and polish away more recent surface stains.

Contact your dentist today to schedule your cosmetic consultation, and soon you could finally have the bright white grin you’ve always dreamed of!

About the Practice

At Norwood Dental Care, you and your family benefit from a father-and-son dental team that enjoys helping people build and maintain their healthiest, most beautiful smiles. With more than 40 years of combined experience, Dr. John Michaels and his son, Dr. David Michaels, offer a wide range of services to meet all your needs at one convenient location. They combine a caring approach with state-of-the-art technology to improve patient comfort while delivering accurate results. They offer several cosmetic options that can improve your appearance, including customized take-home teeth whitening kits. You can request an appointment on the website or by calling (781) 769-6140.