Celebrities always have such sparkly white teeth; the result of good hygiene but also years of whitening. But if you don’t have access to the top dental products and a hygienist 24/7, then the best way to stop your teeth from looking yellow is to floss, brush properly, and prevent stains by avoiding certain foods and drinks which have a direct impact on your teeth.
Some dark-colored foods can stain the enamel, drinks like wine and coffee have tannins within them which make teeth lose their white luster, and products that are rich in sugar feed the acid excreting bacteria in the mouth, resulting in dental decay, Smile More Dental Care reports. This means sweets like hard candy and cookies are best avoided.
Acidic Foods
Citrus fruits are very acidic and can erode the enamel, so are tomatoes, which contain pigments that cling to tooth enamel.
Wine
Red wine is a naturally staining drink because of the coloring, and according to Cosmopolitan, it is the tannins in the wine that cause staining. And white wine lovers cannot breathe a sigh of relief either, because it is believed to make tooth stains appear darker.
Hot, Dark, Liquids
Coffee and tea may be tasty and give you the energy boost you need in the morning, but they can also make teeth appear discolored. Coffee is acidic and can change the PH in the mouth, and according to Greatist, this results in the enamel becoming damaged much faster after eating acidic food. Tea is actually worse than coffee, according to Cosmopolitan. This is because of the tannins found within it, but also the hue, and Greatist notes that black tea turns teeth yellow, while green tea creates a grayish color.
Other beverages that should be avoided are sodas, and sports drinks with artificial flavoring, Colgate reports. If you must have these beverages, then drinking water or milk afterward could reduce the acidic effect.
Rich Colors
Because of the rich red coloring of beetroot, it can have an effect on the whiteness of the teeth, it also has staining properties, and Cosmopolitan points out how you need only look at a chopping board to see this effect.
Berries
Berries like blueberries and blackberries are good for the health and filled with antioxidants, but they stain the enamel, and it can be very hard to remove this from teeth. You can help prevent staining by mixing these berries into a smoothie, and drinking it with a straw, Dental Restorative Group reports.
Other Factors
It’s not just food and drink that can result in yellow teeth and according to Healthline, when teeth enamel has eroded away, you can see the dentin beneath which is naturally yellow. Teeth can also become yellow with age and naturally discolor after the enamel thins.
Some people are genetically predisposed to yellow teeth, and Colgate notes that if an individual’s parents have yellow teeth, they may also. While smoking can cause surface stains on teeth because of the nicotine.
[Image via Shutterstock]
