Keeping your teeth white following teeth whitening

With more and more people looking to improve the appearance of their teeth with teeth whitening. Here at Leigh Dental Centre, we have some top tips to keep your smile bright and white. You already know it is important to brush and floss your teeth daily, quit smoking and attend the dentist for regular check-ups, but there are also certain foods and drinks you should be mindful of to help reduce staining to your pearly whites. Anything that has the ability to stain a tablecloth or t‑shirt will have the ability to stain your teeth.

Wine

Red wine is acidic and contains tannins, most commonly thought of as being in tea. This gives the drink the potential to cause a large amount of staining on your teeth.

Wherever possible try to intersperse glasses of water in between the wine, not only will this help to reduce any potential hangover the following day, it will also help to reduce the level of staining of your teeth.

Tea

Like wine, ordinary tea is rich in stain promoting tannins. Many dentists say that staining from tea can be an even bigger problem than staining from coffee as it is low in tannins.

If you can’t bear the thought of giving up your morning brew, why not consider switching to a herbal, green or white tea which has all been shown to have much less staining capacity.

Fizzy Drinks

Not only do you need to be concerned with the dark coloured fizzy drinks which have the ability to stain your teeth, but lighter coloured drinks are also sufficiently acidic that they promote the staining of teeth by other foods and drinks that you may have at the same time. Also, fizzy drinks are often drunk cold and this has the effect of causing teeth to contract, making them more porous and easier to stain.

Dark Sauces

Dark sauces used to flavour foods can also have the same staining effect. Soy Sauce, balsamic vinegar and tomato sauces are often used sauces that can have a detrimental effect on the brightness of your smile.

Berries

Blueberries, Blackberries, Cranberries, Cherries and other intensely coloured fruit also have the potential to cause stains. This is true no matter what form they come in whether juices, smoothies, pies or cakes.

One way to avoid staining is to eat lettuce, spinach or broccoli at the start of your meal, these vegetables form a protective film over teeth so that foods that stain cannot seep into your teeth’s pores. You can also book in for an appointment with the hygienist, who will be able to advise you on the best oral hygiene routine to keep your teeth looking white and remove any stain build-up.

Call Leigh Dental Centre today on 01702 472929 and book a consultation with our hygienist to keep your teeth bright and white.