In order to keep your teeth white, you need to brush them regularly. However, if you have found that your teeth are discolored despite the fact that you have good oral hygiene, it may be because you are eating the wrong foods. Here are six foods you might eat every day that could stain your teeth permanently.
Berries
Eating berries can be good for your health. They’re high in fiber, antioxidants, and many essential vitamins and nutrients. However, they can also hurt your teeth. The juice in berries can stain them if you eat them on a regular basis. Blackberries and blueberries tend to do the most damage because of their dark color.
Tomato Sauce
Many people love to eat a big plate of spaghetti or a few slices of pizza for lunch or dinner. However, the tomato sauce in these items can stain teeth permanently if it is eaten often. Additionally, while the sauce isn’t as acidic as the fresh fruit, the acid in the sauce can still damage the enamel on your teeth.
Popsicles
There’s nothing like a popsicle on a warm day. Your kids may get a kick out of how it changes the color of their tongues, but it can also be staining your teeth, much more permanently. What most people don’t realize is that those colorful popsicles can leave stains on their teeth. They can also cause decay as many popsicles contain high amounts of sugar, even when they’re made with real fruit instead of syrups. Teach your kids to brush their teeth right after enjoying this treat.
Grapes
Most individuals are aware of the fact that red wine can stain their teeth if they drink it often, but they may not realize that eating red grapes can do the same thing. This is because of the red pigment in both of them.
Chocolate
You really can’t go wrong with eating a piece of chocolate when you are in the mood of something sweet. It’s indulgent, and a good dark chocolate even has health benefits, like important minerals and antioxidants. Unfortunately, this delicious treat can stain the teeth if you eat it too often. This has to do with the tannins in the chocolate.
Avocados
A lot of people eat avocados on a daily basis. Some individuals eat them by themselves or use them to make a dish like guacamole. While avocados are considered to be a very healthy fruit, full of beneficial fats and nutrients, they can still stain your teeth an unappealing green. The soft-textured fruit can easily stick to plaque in your mouth and crevices in your teeth. However, this shouldn’t cause any issues long term as long as you brush your teeth after eating.
These and many other foods can leave stubborn stains on the surfaces of your teeth. Many people will try using a whitening toothpaste or similar product. However, over time, the stains can penetrate deeply into your teeth. In this case, your best option to get these stains removed is by making an appointment for a cleaning. You can get this done at your usual general dentistry center. Before the cleaning, your dentist will also check the enamel of your teeth to ensure that the foods you’re eating aren’t damaging it.
Eating the wrong foods can permanently stain your teeth. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your bright, white smile back. If you don’t want to avoid these foods altogether, you may be able to limit the amount of staining that occurs by brushing your teeth after you eat the foods mentioned above. Talk to your dentist for more in depth cleanings as well.