There is nothing greater than smiling. And there is no greater feeling than knowing that when you smile, you’re showing off your sparkling, white teeth. But teeth won’t stay white forever. Unless you whiten them with chemicals, which can sometimes be dangerous and weaken your enamel, you’ll be staining your teeth. But how do you stain them? It’s quite easy – by eating and drinking. While you can’t avoid doing any of these things, some food and drink are known to cause greater, more noticeable stains. If you’re wondering what they are, here are a few to watch out for…

• Black Coffee: Out of all of the drinks out there, drinking black coffee has the ability to stain your teeth quite badly. But why does this happen? It’s both the coffee and the outside layer of the tooth. If you didn’t already know so, the outermost layer of your tooth is extremely porous, meaning anything you eat or drink will get absorbed into the layer whether you like it or not. Because coffee is acidic, drinking it will have long lasting effects on the color of your teeth. While you can add milk and creamer to lessen the effects, you’ll have to add more in your cup than actual coffee.
• Red Wine: Ah, there is nothing like a nice glass of red wine with dinner or after work, right? Unfortunately, red wine will cause discoloration and stain your teeth. While you can always switch to white wine or stop drinking altogether, keep in mind that you will benefit from rinsing your mouth with mouthwash, brushing your teeth, or rinsing with water after each glass. On the good side, studies have shown that drinking wine can help to reduce gum disease, as wine is an anti-inflammatory.
• Cranberry Juice and Other Juices: While juice can be a healthy option for some people, drinking heavily concentrated or artificially dyed juices can leave your teeth looking duller than before you drank a glass of juice. In particular, the acidity of the juices will make your teeth appear to have a yellow tint, which can only be reversed through whitening.

To be continued…