Many of us think that the stains on our teeth are caused only by improper oral hygiene. While it is true that neglecting your oral hygiene can effect the color of your teeth, there are also certain foods and beverages which induce a very off-putting color even if you brush your teeth three times a day. Drinks like coffee, sodas and wine, and even certain antibiotics can cause very powerful stains that brushing alone can’t remove. And the problem is so much more aggravated when you allow these staining substances to react longer with your dental enamel.
Of course, let us not forget about the obvious factors which cause stained teeth including smoking and having poor oral hygiene. Nicotine, which is found in cigars and cigarettes, adhere firmly to the teeth and cause yellowish stains. The point is that there are so many things we do in a daily basis which we don’t think of that much which ultimately contribute to darkly stained teeth. And as the years go by without us correcting these habits, the problem grows worse until we’re afraid to smile. Here are the more popular causes of teeth staining which we may not know about:
Food
Be wary about foods and beverages that are very darkly colored such as cranberry sauces, strawberries, tea, coffee, red wines, sodas and red fruit juices. And the damage done is so much worse if you consume foods with high concentrations of acids because these compounds open up the pores so that the stains can penetrate your teeth much deeper. Limit the exposure of your enamel to these foods and swish water after a couple of sips to minimize the degree of the stain.
Tobacco
On top of the risk of getting oral cancer or lung cancer, tobacco products also usher in yellow teeth. Nicotine is able to influence changes in the teeth’s composition turning the color from white to yellow and, by clinging to teeth, its staining power is exacerbated. Regardless of which tobacco product you use, be it cigars or cigarettes, the results are still the same.
Tap Water
It seems very absurd for tap water to be part of this list but children who haven’t had their permanent teeth come in are actually at high risk for brown stains on their teeth to develop. Overexposure to fluoride can lead to a condition called dental fluorosis which stains permanent teeth of young children when they grow in. Tap water systems are fluoridated since fluoride is crucial for fighting tooth decay but when kids swallow their toothpastes as they brush or consume a lot of dental hygiene products with fluoride, this can pave way to too much fluoride in their systems.
Another great way to prevent stains is to have your teeth cleaned every six months by Central Dental. With offices in Little Rock, Conway, and Jacksonville, AR, they can get your teeth pearly white.
