5 Foods to Avoid for White Teeth

1. 5 Foods to Avoid for White Teeth

2. A dazzling smile can turn a lot of heads and bring you the confidence you never knew you had. To maintain your white teeth, you’ll need to keep up with good dental habits and regular check-ups with your friendly North Ipswich Dentist. Today Karalee Family Dental will talk about five foods to avoid for white teeth, and how to maintain a gorgeous smile.

3. Coffee Coffee is something a lot of people can’t live without. It’s the liquid gold behind our mojo, our go-getter juice, and a delicious pick me up to get on with the workday. It’s also a well-known culprit causing stained teeth. If you’re a regular coffee drinker and don’t rinse your mouth with water after a hot cuppa joe, your teeth may darken over time. How so? Dark pigments in coffee (chromogens) can stick to the enamel surface of your teeth, over time, leading to teeth that are no longer white. This goes for tea too, which is usually high in staining tannins. We recommend adding cows or plant-based milk to tea and coffee. Not only will this reduce the teeth-staining effects, but they’re also good sources of calcium, important to dental health.

4. Red wine After a long week, you’re probably craving an appealing glass of red wine. But just like tea and coffee, you’re in for some bad news. Red wine is another thing to minimise if you want to maintain your pearly whites. Relax – you don’t have to give up red wine completely. We recommend sipping water intermittently to reduce the staining effect.

5. Brightly coloured foods Any food that stains your fingers are likely to stain your teeth, too. Some brightly coloured foods to avoid are: ● The all-Australian Beetroot ● Blueberries ● Cranberries ● Raspberries ● Blackberries Unfortunately, whole, juiced or processed berries are the enemy of white teeth. You don’t have to say bye-bye berries and beetroot forever, however. By not letting berries linger in your mouth for longer than needed, and drinking water afterwards, you’ll minimise the chances of teeth staining.

6. Lollies Lollies and processed sugar are not your teeth’s friend. While sugar and lollies don’t stain your teeth, it doesn’t mean you should eat them in large quantities. The bacteria that eats the sugar left behind on your teeth also eats away at enamel, your teeth’s protective layer. When your enamel is gone, yellow dentin is exposed which makes your teeth look yellower and discoloured.

7. Sauces Sauces are great for adding flavour to meals, but some sauces aren’t so nice to your teeth. Some teeth-staining sauces include: ● Curry sauces ● Tomato-based sauces ● Soy, Worcestershire and Tamari sauce ● Balsamic vinegar A good rule of thumb is the deeper the colour, the deeper the stain that could potentially be left on your teeth. Never fear, lighter and creamier sauces are less likely to cause teeth staining. Add crunchy, fresh lettuce to salads to counteract the acidity and stickiness of balsamic vinegar.

8. Find out more Maintaining white teeth doesn’t have to be hard when you know how to do it and the professionals you can trust. Karalee Family Dental is your trusted dental centre for North Ipswich and surrounding suburbs, with top-rated dental services and dedication to customer care. Want to know more about teeth whitening? Contact Karalee Family Dental today.