How To Keep Your Teeth White Even If You Eat Tannins
Keeping your teeth looking pearly white is challenging at the best of times, but if you’re the sort of person who eats a lot of tannin-containing foods, like coffee, black tea, red wine, berries and herbs and spices, then you could develop yellow or brown stains over time.
What’s great about these stains is that they’re extrinsic, which means at their surface level. However, they can still affect your appearance in ways you would prefer them not to.
Fortunately, there are practical tips you can use to avoid these issues. Here’s what to do:
Use a straw
The first thing you can do is use a straw, especially for things like tea, iced coffee, and beverages. But make sure that the exit of the straw is at the back of your mouth, bypassing your teeth entirely, so they don’t come into contact with any tannins or other components that could cause staining.
Rinse with water
If you do eat something that contains compounds that could stain your teeth, rinse with water straight away.
Usually the staining isn’t immediate but only occurs once the tannin has been in contact with the tooth enamel for some time. Therefore flushing out your mouth and removing any pigments can prevent tannins from setting in the first place.
Add milk or cream
If you can add milk or cream to your coffee and tea, these proteins can then bind to the tannins. For example, casein in a lot of dairy products can stick to tannins and prevent them from attaching themselves to your teeth. If you just have black coffee and/or tea without any additions, then the staining becomes much more likely.
Use veneers
Additionally, you could look into using the best veneers for your teeth shape. Veneers are handy because they won’t stain even in the presence of tannins. This means that you can consume as many of these plant polyphenols as you like, and you won’t experience any issues.
Pair with protective foods
Another thing you can try is consuming tannin-rich foods with foods that protect your teeth. For example, people traditionally ate cheese with wine because cheese neutralises the acids and can create a barrier with the teeth. Also, if you eat a lot of things like apples, carrots and celery, which are crunchy and fibrous foods, they act as natural teeth scrubbers. They can remove a lot of the tannins before they have the chance to set.
Drink quickly
If you’re really stuck for ideas, you can also try drinking your cups of tea and coffee quicker. This can be more beneficial than sipping all morning because it reduces the length of time that the tannins are in contact with your tooth enamel. Try to finish drinks in a single setting, preferably in less than five minutes.
Wait before brushing
Finally, you’ll want to wait around 30 minutes after consuming tannin-containing foods before you start brushing. Tannins are often quite acidic, and brushing too soon can soften the enamel and spread the damage, so wait as long as you can.
