Are you tired of seeing those dark stains in your front teeth every time you look in the mirror? Well, you’re not the only one. Most people that drink tea and coffee very often have the same problem. Besides being absolutely necessary for your daily routine, these beverages have the downside of producing those brown stains on your teeth.
Luckily, some tips can help you prevent this inconvenience. Read this blog to find out what you can do about tooth stains!
Why Do Teeth Get Stained When Drinking Tea and Coffee?
It is essential to understand how they are produced to prevent these stains. While tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body, enduring biting and chewing pressures, it does have microscopic pores. When you drink tea or coffee, the tannins (a dark pigment present in the brew) seep into those pores, leaving dark stains behind. In addition, these drinks—and coffee in particular—are acidic, which means that they can also wear the enamel away, leading to more staining over time.
How Can I Prevent Coffee and Tea Stains?
Below, we list a few tips and recommendations to avoid these annoying dark stains:
- Use a straw: drinking through a straw reduces the exposure of your “social six” (the six front teeth) to the tannins that cause the staining, as the tea and coffee go straight down your throat. It might be a bit awkward at first, but you will keep your smile bright for a long time if you get used to it.
- Drink loads of water: as mentioned before, the enamel is porous, and tannins can get stuck inside those microscopic pores. Drinking water washes away any remaining staining agents that might have been trapped inside the enamel.
- Mix beverages with milk or cream: mixing tea and coffee with dairies has two advantages. In the first place, it lightens the color of the beverages. Secondly, the proteins present in the dairies attaches to the tannins, avoiding their interaction with teeth enamel.
- Brush teeth shortly after tea or coffee: ideally, patients should brush their teeth 30 minutes after drinking any of these beverages. It’s not recommended to do it immediately after, as the drinks are acidic and can affect the enamel. Still, it’s advisable to do it soon enough to remove the tannins adhered to the teeth surface when it is still possible.
- Keep good oral hygiene: tannins are more likely to stick to teeth with dental plaque or tartar, so having a conscious brushing and flossing routine is vital to protect your pearly whites.
- Use whitening toothpaste: whitening toothpaste doesn’t do miracles, but it can help you avoid or at least control tooth staining. This kind of product is sold over the counter, so you can easily incorporate it into your daily routine for a reasonable price.
Still Worried About Tooth Stains?
Contact our oral surgery office in Austin, TX, and schedule a consultation with one of our dentists at Hill Country Oral Surgery. They will answer all your questions and offer you different treatment alternatives to get rid of those stains!
