5 Ways to keep from getting stained teeth

Feb 03, 2011 9:23 PM by Suzi Milovanovic

Posted in Health & Wellness / Women's Health / Dental & Vision

Pearly Whites

Ask any dentist and you'll find that the most common question from patients is how to get whiter teeth, mostly because of the image stained teeth present. No matter how great the hair or how spectacular the outfit, stains on your teeth diminish the wow factor for even the most attractive of people.

Woman drinking juice with straw

Fear not! There are ways to keep stains off teeth and keep your smile naturally white.

Brush

Easy enough, and for most people brushing twice a day is part of their normal routine. To keep stains from forming on your teeth, remember to brush after consuming dark food and drinks like blueberries and coffee as well.

Use a straw

You probably don't want to try this for hot beverages, but using a straw to drink your morning juice will help minimize the amount of contact the staining liquid has with your teeth.

Pick your toothpaste carefully

Avoid whitening tooth polishes which offer a quick fix whereby the abrasives work by scraping off the stain, which also scrapes off your enamel. Thinner enamel shows more 'dentin,' which is actually a darker part of your tooth, normally hidden under the white enamel. Don't feel that if the toothpaste isn't harsh or abrasive that it doesn't work.

Floss

As unrelated as it seems, flossing helps keep stains off of teeth. Flossing between the teeth will help to prevent plaque build-up, eliminating the potential stains that the plaque will leave.

Drink cooler coffee

While not particularly appealing to most people, the unfortunate truth is: the hotter your coffee is, the more stains will appear on your teeth. Very hot beverages can cause tiny fractures on your teeth that staining elements sit in, causing stains. Even just a few degrees cooler will make a difference.

Keep your teeth from getting stained and put the sparkle back into your healthy smile. You might even turn your "wow" factor up a notch or two.

More tips for whiter teeth

Tags: dental teeth

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