A bright, white smile is what most people want, and it’s no wonder considering how much the appearance of our teeth affects our image. Many people do not know the common foods and drinks that are big staining culprits. We here at Floss thought we would provide you with a list of the seven most common foods and drinks that will dampen that beautiful, bright smile. Now, that’s not to say stop eating or drinking them – just avoid eating and drinking them 24-48 hours after you professionally whiten your teeth.

  1. Red Wine: if you have noticed a gray hue in your teeth, red wine may be responsible. Unfortunately, gray stain is a harder color to lift than yellow. Are tannins to blame? You guessed it, as they are equally to blame in coffee and teas.
  2. Coffee, Green Tea, and Black Tea: These liquid pick-me-ups contain tannins that lead to brown/tan staining and discoloration. Drinking coffee with a lid will help to reduce the impact of the discoloration on your front teeth.
  3. Soda: High in sugar and acid, this beverage may start to leave you with “pitting” in your enamel, even if it is sugar free. These pits may be the beginnings of cavities. If caught before the develop into cavities, these pits can collect stain and take away from your beautiful smile.
  4. Blueberries, Blackberries, and Pomegranates: You better believe if stains are hard to get out of your clothes, the stains most likely will be difficult to remove from your teeth! While these foods are amazing “super foods” they pack a mean punch when it comes to staining your teeth, especially because their pigments are already darker in color.
  5. Turmeric: This spice has become very popular to fight inflammation and aid in other natural support of the body. Similar to its natural color, turmeric will often cause a yellowish-orange stain to your teeth and oral tissues.
  6. Citrus foods: Due to the high acidity in citrus foods, you may start to notice a yellowish discoloration to your teeth. Acidic foods are hard on your enamel and can actually start to erode it, exposing the more yellowish color of the tooth structure underneath (dentin). Try to avoid biting or sucking on lemons or other highly acidic foods as a habit.
  7. Tomato Sauce and Ketchup: High in acidity and pigment, these foods will leave you with a yellowish stain on your teeth, but luckily, yellow stains are the easiest colors to lift!

We offer three different options at Floss for professional teeth whitening. In office whitening, custom whitening trays, and pre-loaded GO trays. Depending on your whitening goals and needs, we can set up a consult for you to discuss the best options to help you obtain a beautiful, bright smile.

You can also learn more about what to expect with teeth whitening by reading our blog Are You a Candidate for Teeth Whitening.