Tasty treats and tidings of good cheer are essential parts of the holiday season. Almost every aspect of this most wonderful time of the year involves eating and drinking, from the candy canes to champagne toasts. The last thing we want to do is drop a bunch of humbug on your holidays, but the reality is that many of the food and beverages that are ubiquitous this time of year are exceptionally good at staining teeth.
If you want to avoid standing under the mistletoe by yourself and want to keep your teeth looking as white as winter snow this holiday season, try to avoid or minimize your consumption of these staining substances:
- Champagne and sparkling wine. When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, that glass of champagne you’ll be holding will be full of enamel-eroding acid. The erosion caused by the high acidity level found in sparkling wines can expose and gradually eat into the layer of dentin underneath your teeth enamel. This can lead to an off-white or discolored smile, as stain-producing substances cling to dentin more easily than they do to enamel.
- Red wine. As with champagne, the red wine you drink with your Christmas dinner is highly acidic and corrosive to your tooth enamel. But the most visible impact of red wine are the stains it leaves on your teeth. The strong pigments in red wine, along with acid and the astringent compounds in tannins, attach themselves to the porous surfaces of teeth, leaving you with “red wine teeth.” TO minimize the staining and damage, brush your teeth before you drink, rinse your mouth with water after you drink, and drink your wine along with fibrous foods that are low in sugar, such as broccoli, celery or hard cheeses.
- Cranberry sauce. There are folks (and you may be one of them) who would seriously consider leaving a Christmas dinner table if there was no cranberry sauce. But these dark berries will leave your teeth with deep red stains and a yellowing smile. If cranberry sauce is your thing, just make sure to rinse your mouth out with water or brush your teeth as soon as possible after eating.
- Fruit-filled pies. As with cranberries, the dark fruits that are often a staple of holiday pies can leave their mark and contain acid which will weaken your enamel and make them more prone to damage and staining.
Assure A Smile: Miami Holistic Dentistry For All Seasons
At Assure A Smile in Miami, we partner with our patients to help them develop healthy, natural, and effective oral hygiene habits as part of an overall wellness strategy and holistic healthcare approach. This includes being conscious and thoughtful about the food we eat and the beverages we drink – during the holidays and throughout the year. To start your new year off right, please contact us today at 305-274-0047 to schedule an appointment. Happy Holidays from all of us at Assure A Smile!
