I started a few months back of drinking several types of teas and grape juice throughout my day, both are healthy (especially green tea) but wow… did they ever do a number on my teeth!
Reasons for Staining
- There are a host of reasons why teeth become discolored, here is a partial listing from the top of my head:
- smoking, drugs or certain types of medications (especially antibiotics such as tetracycline, minocycline and doxycycline)
- alcohol, it’s a fantastic leaching agent which means that it acts as a magnet, not only taking essential minerals from your mouth but also throughout your body
- drinking coffee, tea (especially dark ones), red white, cola and juices (especially grape)
- bad oral care, such as not brushing your teeth or not rinsing your teeth
- high protein diet, this leads more to a yellowing then graying of teeth
- certain medical conditions cause a change in oral functions, especially those that reduce saliva production
- dehydration, if you don’t drink enough, your entire body is under strain and this can be shown in your mouth
- bad diet, your body will prioritize the resources to keep your body alive, sadly, if there is a choice between your vital organs and your mouth, the mouth looses
Why does tea and grape juice stain my teeth?
I really like my tea in the morning, afternoon between meals and generally with most meals, I drink plenty of grape juice. The results after a few months? My teeth have become the same color as my tea mug! Keep in mind that just because your teeth aren’t white, it doesn’t mean they are unhealthy. If they turn blue, then you got a problem (dead) but otherwise, it’s just a color which has no effect on their function. I have also read that tea naturally contains fluoride whose amount depends on leaf quality, so that mixed in with the anti-oxidant qualities of both the grape juice and teas (especially green tea), they both have a positive impact on the body. In the short term, these and other staining liquids or foods stain the plaque adhered to the teeth themselves, not the actual enamel but given enough exposure, this also becomes stained. Enamel is normally translucent, so what you are seeing in the mirror is really the color of the dentin under the enamel layer which is naturally darker. With age, the enamel naturally thins out, leading to darker teeth but any type of staining agent will affect both the level of translucency of the enamel and darken the dentin, leading to darker teeth in general.
How do I whiten teeth naturally?
The easiest way to keep teeth white is to simply never let them get brown or yellow to begin with, this begins with good oral habits. Of course, if you use any tobacco product, you need to quit that before doing anything else as it has a tremendously detrimental effect not only on overall oral health but also that of the body, no excuses.
First, always brush your teeth after every meal, sure this is easier said then done but it will prevent the initial buildups that lead to teeth discoloration.
Second, floss before going to bed at night to get at junk that may be stuck between teeth and rinsing your mouth twice a day with one tablespoon of salt, one table spoon of baking soda mixed in about half a cup of warm water. This will kill bacteria everywhere, nullify the acids in your mouth (baking soda is a powerful base) and works great at greatly reducing tartar and bad breath. If you have an irrigator, that is even better then rinsing your mouth.
Third, you can purchase whitening kit / toothpaste or get zoom bleaching done at your local dentist. You can also just brush your teeth with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide but don’t swallow any of this stuff and use only in limited quantities.
The Bottom Line
Oral health is required for overall health as it’s easily one of the most important defense against disease.
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