February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. The National Children’s Dental Health Month is a…
Preventing Teeth Discoloration
The key to white teeth isn’t just bleaching. Watching what foods go past your teeth is equally important. Coffee and red wine can be darken your smile quickly if you aren’t careful. Both are dark in color, which alone can be enough to stain your teeth if you have weak tooth enamel, and are also very acidic. Acid in these beverages can etch away at your tooth enamel, allowing stains to work in even more. It’s important to note that while white wine doesn’t have the dark color of red, it still is very acidic and can make your teeth vulnerable to stains. Red wine also contains tannins which are molecules in red wine that play a big part in the aging process. Essentially, these molecules want to bind to something and will end up clinging to your teeth.
To prevent stains before they happen, try some of these tips:
1. Don’t ever drink coffee or red wine after whitening your teeth. Teeth are dehydrated and are more sensitive to staining after whitening sessions. Your saliva will rehydrate and re-mineralize your teeth in a short amount of time, but it is best to avoid staining them during this period.
2. Drinking through a straw can help prevent the offending liquid from touching the front of your teeth. Try switching to iced coffee so you can sip it through a straw (hot coffee is also thought to be more staining because the heat opens up the pores in your teeth).
3. Sip water or club soda in between glasses of wine. This can minimize the amount of acid left on your teeth.
4. Eat abrasive foods like apples or celery. The texture can help scrub away the residue before it sets in.
5. Snack on cheese. Cheese can actually act as a barrier and protect your teeth from stains.
6. Chew gum after drinking coffee or wine. Chewing gum makes the mouth produce more saliva which will wash away harmful residue and will re-mineralize your tooth enamel.
7. Wait for at least one hour after you enjoy a glass of wine to brush your teeth. If you brush too soon, you can increase wear-and-tear on your teeth while they’re still reeling from the acidity, which sets you up for stains in the future.
8. Last, but not least, get regular dental cleanings. Teeth that have more plaque and tartar build-up are more susceptible to stains. Clean, smooth teeth are more resilient to staining.
Dr. Jordan Cooper is from Jacksonville, AR. His father is Dr. James Cooper, a Jonesboro, AR native and practicing dentist of 39 years and his mother, Tracy Cooper, is a dental hygienist from Little Rock. Dr. Cooper graduated high school from Central Arkansas Christian, after which he entered at the University of Arkansas as a Chancellor’s Scholar in 1998.
Dr. David Cole is a graduate from the University of Arkansas, receiving his degree in 2016, and is a huge Razorback fan! He then went to dental school at the University of Tennessee where he received his D.D.S. in 2021. He looks forward to getting to know the Central Arkansas area, and serving his community!
Dr. Rasmussen is a Hot Springs native who graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2017 (Go Bears). After receiving his D.D.S from The University of Tennessee in 2021, he is looking forward to serving the central Arkansas community and the wonderful people who live here.
Dr. James Cooper was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He studied at the University of New Mexico and graduated from dental school from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. After 2 years of dental experience with the Army, Dr. Cooper moved to Jacksonville in 1973 to practice dentistry.