5 Foods That Can Stain Your Teeth

One of the primary purposes of our teeth is to break down foods to make them digestible.

While likely delicious, there are many foods that can stain your teeth.

Some of the below are easy to avoid for a healthy mouth and healthy lifestyle. Others might take more effort!

Berries and Cherries

Dark red cherries and blackberries have very high pigment saturation.

Eating an excess of these can stain teeth.

This is generally less true when they are eaten raw and natural, and in moderation, but when added to pies and other sugary dishes, the addition of the sugar is enough to cause real staining problems.

Stick to whole fruits and rinse with water after eating.

Soda, Tea, Coffee

Maybe not foods per say, but drinks can stain your teeth as well!

Over time, drinking coffee, tea, and soda regularly has an effect on your enamel and will cause yellowing.

Don’t dull your smile! Stick with water and other light beverages.

Chocolate

Say it isn’t so!

Unfortunately, it is. Eating a lot of chocolate can stain your teeth.

Eating everything in moderation is a good idea and this is especially true of yellowing pigments found in chocolate, just like coffee and tea.

To keep a brilliant white smile, stick to solid chocolate you chew instead of liquids you would drink- hot chocolate and mochas for example.

If the drinks are a necessary evil for you, try to sip through a straw and rinse teeth with water often.

Candy

Everyone knows eating a lot of candy can cause cavities but depending on the candy, it can also cause staining.

The sugars in candy make your enamel weaker, allowing the dyes and coloring in candy to creep in and adhere to your teeth.

The erosion caused by sugar and the acids often found in candy- anything tart or sour- make this even more likely.

Stick to naturally sweet treats and always brush your teeth thoroughly after eating candy or other sugary foods.

Artificial Colors

Anything with artificial coloring has the potential to stain tooth enamel.

Remember when you were a kid and ate a blue lollipop and your whole mouth was blue for all day, at least?

Eating foods with added dyes and coloring stains your teeth over time.

This includes many of the foods in the above categories but is worth mentioning again.

With a little forethought and good dental hygiene, you can mitigate a lot of the staining effects of foods you eat.

Be aware of the things that might affect your pretty smile and pick healthier options instead.

Don’t forget- there are plenty of foods that DON’T stain teeth that are good for your teeth and you general health.

Apples, carrots, lettuce, and whole grains won’t stain teeth and even help them.

Do you have concerns over the whiteness of your smile? Schedule a consultation with us today and see how we can help!

Image: LearningLark

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