Is Tea Staining Your Teeth More Than Red Wine & Coffee?

Yes – Tea is the biggest culprit of staining your teeth! Even more than red wine and coffee believe it or not.

Unless you’ve had cosmetic whitening treatments, there’s a very high chance your teeth aren’t sparkling white (If they are though, let us know how you managed that!).

It would seem that every week, we’re being told about new foods that are harming our teeth. Whether it be that the food is ruining our enamel causing sensitivity or discolouring our teeth through staining.

We know of the common culprits of staining

Unfortunately for us, we love most of them! Red wine, tea, coffees, dark chocolate, white wine, soft drinks that are dark in colour such as Coca-Cola, dark berries such as blueberries or blackberries and even cherries.

Let’s talk Tea!

However, a recent study has shown that actually Tea is the biggest culprit for those stains on your teeth. The study even discovered that tea is worse for your teeth than coffee – Java lovers rejoice! Tooth enamel is naturally porous and therefore will absorb tannins that are in tea, leaving your teeth that unpleasant brown colour. Tannic acid, a type of tannin found in some teas, is what creates plaque on teeth, causing them to yellow.

Of course, staining can be limited

Maintaining a good oral health routine is vital. Brushing twice a day for two minutes is crucial to ensure your teeth stay clean and healthy between your trips to the dentist. Flossing is important too, but everyone forgets from time to time, but flossing once a day can really make a difference to the appearance of your smile overall. Then of course, as we’ve mentioned, visiting the dentist – you’ll need to do that too.

Your dentist can help you reverse staining

If your teeth have a little discolouration and generally need some TLC, there are several cosmetic treatments on offer that can help restore your smile, making it brighter and potentially more white, too. Speak to your dentist to see what type of treatments are on offer and which type of treatment is best suited to your case.

Find a dentist who specialises in teeth whitening near you

Click the link below and type in your location. Choose the advanced search and click ’Teeth Whitening’. This will give you a list of dentists near you. You can also read their patient reviews!