Stained teeth are a fact of life! Even with a rigorous “smile maintenance” routine: brushing, flossing, and rinsing at least twice a day, your teeth can still become stained. The question still remains: Can superfoods stain your teeth?
Most people are aware of the “Usual Suspects” of teeth stains:
- Coffee and Tea
- Wine
- Tobacco
- Poor Oral Health
- Aging
But did you know that other foods, even foods that are healthy and should be part of your regular diet, can also cause stains on your teeth and make your smile dull? We want everyone in Prairie Village, KS to have the whitest, brightest smiles possible. We offer a variety of teeth whitening services to help you have a beautiful, youthful smile.
Check out the list of “superfoods” below!
Superfoods can mean super stains!
Have you ever heard of a superfood? A superfood is a food that has health benefits in addition to nutrition. If the following foods are a regular part of your grocery list, you’re doing a great job for your health, but you should be aware that they can also negatively effect your appearance!
Blueberries
Blueberries are considered a superfood, and it’s beneficial properties include anti-aging, weight loss, and protecting the brain from oxidative stresses and other things that happen to your brain as it ages (that’s just the tip of the iceberg).
Blueberries are great for your health, and if they aren’t part of your diet, you might consider adding them! However, the juice that gives blueberries their signature color is also a powerful staining agent that can dull your teeth.
The same thing can be said of black berries, cherries, or any brightly colored, juicy berry you might think of.
Beets and Beet Juice
Research has shown that beets and beet juice can reduce your risk of heart disease are said to reduce the risk of heart disease and is a powerful antioxidant among other things. Once again, the bright red color of beets that make them an appetizing and a great addition to the table comes from a pigment called betanin. Especially when you’re drinking beet juice, betanin can cause dark stains on your teeth.
Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce
Many of us love Italian food, but there wouldn’t be much to it if it weren’t for the tomato! Tomatoes can help you avoid certain kinds of cancer, but they’re very acidic, and the bright red pigment they contain can dull your smile. Don’t have a taste for Italian? How about a good old American hot dog or hamburger? If they have ketchup on them, you can get stains that way as well!
Walnuts
Walnuts are a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Long ago, they were also a great source of black ink! Early Americans also used walnuts as a way to dye hair. That’s because walnuts, especially black walnuts, contain pigments that are great for those applications.They also can seriously stain your teeth.
You Don’t have to trade a great smile for a great diet!
The above is just a small sample of the healthy foods that can stain your teeth. That doesn’t mean you should avoid them! Prairie Village Dentists offers Zoom! Whitening and Ultradent. We also can make you custom whitening trays that will fit your teeth exactly, allowing the whitening agent to do it’s best job and return your teeth to their natural, bright and white appearance.
Zoom! Whitening
Zoom! Whitening is a technology developed by Philips. It uses a powerful light in conjunction with a whitening gel to make your teeth many shades whiter. It also includes take-home trays that you’ll use as part of a maintenance plan to ensure that your teeth stay bright, white, and young-looking for as long as possible.
Ultradent
Ultradent is a very convenient way to whiten your teeth. We’ll provide you with trays that already have the whitening gel in them. Just remove them from the packaging and pop them in. Depending on the strength of gel you use (your dentist will recommend the gel that will get you your whitest smile with the least amount of discomfort), you may only have to wear them for 15 minutes a day, or an hour a day. Ultradent combines the convenience of over-the-counter whitening kits with the effectiveness that can only come from a dentist-supervised whitening treatment.
Custom Whitening Trays
Customized whitening trays for take-home whitening treatments are superior to over-the-counter alternatives because they fit your teeth specifically, ensuring full coverage of all your teeth. That means a brighter, whiter smile!
Make an Appointment Today!
If your smile just isn’t as bright as it once was, Prairie Village Dental can help! You can reach us at 913-649-5600, or you can use our handy online appointment form. We’re ready and waiting to give you the brightest smile you’ve ever had!
