Why Do Teeth Lose Their Whiteness with Age?
You brush, you floss, you visit the dentist regularly — but still, your teeth keep losing their luster. Sound familiar? If you’re getting older, your age could be to blame. Read on to learn more.
The Worst Drinks for a White Smile
You know you should brush and floss. But what if you practice perfect oral hygiene and your smile still falls short? In reality, you could also have some seemingly harmless habits taking a toll on your teeth.
Daniel Park, DDS, can dramatically lighten your teeth to enhance your smile at Beaumont Cherry Valley Dental. However, you can take steps to reduce staining on your own. The first place to start? The beverages you drink regularly.
Tooth staining occurs for several reasons. Not only do foods and beverages play a role, but your smile can also become discolored as your tooth enamel wears thin, making the yellowish dentin it conceals easier to see. This type of discoloration becomes more complex to correct since it involves tooth damage, not just staining.
Want your smile to stay white as long as possible? Here are five of the worst drinks for your teeth.
1. Cola
You probably know that soda is bad for your teeth, but do you know why? It may seem like a sweet and bubbly treat, but it’s a recipe for tooth decay and softened enamel.
These beverages contain a double-whammy that works against teeth. First, their sugar coats your teeth and feeds bacteria, triggering acid production that damages the enamel. They’re also high in acid, so even sugar-free options aren’t safe.
All soft drinks wreak havoc on your teeth, but cola is especially risky because it’s often the most acidic of these products.
2. Coffee
Reaching for that morning cup of joe may seem safe, especially if you forego the sugar. However, it’s a safe bet that anything that stains your clothes also stains your teeth — and that includes beverages like coffee, tea, and red wine.
These beverages contain a specific ingredient known as tannins. This substance causes color compounds to stick to your teeth, leaving that unpleasant yellow hue behind. And it only takes one cup each day to do it.
3. Sweet drinks, including cocktails
Do you love a sweet cocktail? A refreshing glass of sugary fruit juice? A cold glass of sweetened tea? These beverages can cause more damage than you may expect.
Not only does sugar expose your teeth to tooth decay, but mixtures that are acidic, bubbly, or contain alcohol can amplify the damage to your enamel. Plus, anything you sip stays on your teeth longer.
4. Energy drinks
Love reaching for an energy drink to help power you through the day? The ingredients may pump you up, but they can cause serious damage to your smile.
Energy drinks often contain high acidity levels, putting your enamel at serious risk. But it doesn’t stop there. Their formulas can also trigger hyperactive energy levels, leading to teeth grinding — a habit that can cause dental damage, like cracks, chips, and even tooth loss.
5. Vinegar-based drinks, including kombucha
Vinegar-based, probiotic drinks like kombucha may be a boost for your gut, but they’re also extremely acidic. How acidic? Many range from a pH of 2.5 to 3.5 on a scale that defines anything below 7.0 as harmful to your teeth.
Drinking these highly acidic beverages can wear down your enamel, cause it to weaken, and lead to tooth erosion. This is also a permanent problem since you can’t replace enamel once it’s gone.
Fortunately, Dr. Park can help restore your pristine smile and oral health, whether you need a professional cleaning, teeth whitening, veneers, or more extensive restoration to repair damage. And, once you love your smile again, he can make sure you know which steps to take to maintain its brilliance moving forward.
Have your teeth grown dull? Schedule a consultation with Dr. Park at Beaumont Cherry Valley Dental in Beaumont, California, today.
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