Help! I’m addicted to sugar, love my morning coffee and sipping happy hour red wine with friends but I want white teeth. What can I do?
We are here to let you know that while consuming sugar, coffee and red wine all contribute to staining your teeth, there is a way to make these stains disappear.
We don’t want you to have to stop eating candy at the theatre, drinking that morning caffeine jolt or saving money on half-price wine nights. Moderation is key when it comes to consuming teeth-staining foods and drinks. 3 bags of candy a day is excessive and will stain and rot your teeth. Too much sugar can weaken enamel causing your teeth to stain quicker but a few bad days a week is not going to cause any serious stains on your teeth. Still, want to sip your coffee in that Monday morning meeting? Again, keep your java consumption down to just a cup or two to help prevent stains from building up over time.
Brushing your teeth for at least 2 minutes, once a day will help prevent stains and cavities from occurring. Two minutes may seem like a long time but if you hum your favourite song during the process, you’ll be done in no time. We do recommend brushing your teeth twice a day for that extra clean look to make sure that plaque and tartar build up gets swept away.
As a helpful tip, some electric toothbrushes have timers built right in so if you’re not musically-inclined you can pick up one of these to get the right amount of brushing time in. Electric toothbrushes can also clean your teeth better than a regular toothbrush if used right, for the correct amount of time.
Rinsing with a recommended mouthwash after each meal and drink will help you steer clear of surface stains. Mouthwash helps keep bacteria and food/drink particles from sticking to your teeth. Are you a chocoholic but find it sticks to your teeth, giving you that “Charlie in the Chocolate Factory” smile? Why not try eating dark chocolate, instead of milk or white, as it contains ingredients that are less prone to clinging to your teeth after consumption.
Drinking your coffee with milk will also help prevent dark stains. Tannins in coffee drinks create a residue on your enamel. By adding milk to your coffee, casein, the main protein in milk, attaches to the tannins and helps prevent stains.
For red wine lovers, sip water intermittently as you drink your wine. Water acts as a flushing agent, helping prevent those winey stains. With everything you eat and drink, if you get into the habit of a quick rinse with water or mouthwash afterwards, it will help you with better oral hygiene and fresher breath.
Stains can still occur as a result of eating habits, tobacco use, disease, genetics and medications. Release your worries as our trained dental professionals can provide you with the ultimate aid – professional teeth whitening.
When you go to a dentist for a teeth whitening, you will see immediate results but the full effects will take place a few days later. You will leave the office with a natural looking white smile and renewed confidence to take on the world. Professional teeth whitening uses a cosmetic grade whitening agent to remove nasty stains that have come to rest on your teeth.
We want you to be confident showing your smile to the world. With a little extra help from a professional teeth whitening, you can keep your smile bright while still drinking and eating what you love. After all, sugar can provide you with energy when needed, coffee can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s and red wine helps prevent heart disease and cancer.
Oh, and don’t forget to brush and floss regularly.
