How to Prevent Dental Stains

There are few things worse for a beautiful smile than stained teeth. If you have discoloration on your teeth, you know how difficult it can be to shine a bright smile in a public place. Fortunately, there are many treatments available through your dentist that can help you get and maintain a beautiful, white smile.

However, teeth whitening treatments do not have lifelong results – especially if you don’t take care of your teeth on a daily basis after they are treated. Once you go back to bad habits, the stains will return. As such, while teeth whitening treatments performed by an experienced dentist can do wonders for your smile, it is equally important to care for your teeth at home.

Here is what you can do to prevent stains from developing on your teeth:

Be Wary of Staining Foods and Drinks

There are a lot of foods and drinks that can stain your teeth. Examples include coffee, tea, soft drinks, red wine, beets, curry, soy sauce, and berries. Consuming such foods on a regular basis can stain your teeth pretty quickly. However, this doesn’t mean you can't have them at all. Here are a couple of things you can do to enjoy such foods without sacrificing having white teeth.

  Use a straw when drinking liquids, such as coffee, tea, soda, fruit juice, and wine. This is a simple and easy way to reduce the exposure of the drinks to your teeth, saving them from getting stained.
  After consuming any staining food or drink, immediately rinse – or brush – your teeth. Doing so will limit the time a staining substance remains on your teeth, which will reduce the chances of staining.

Quit Smoking

There is nothing that leaves permanent and very visible stains on your teeth like smoking – and its damage doesn’t stop there. Even if you regularly get your teeth whitened, the effects of smoking will return your teeth back to a yellow/brown color. Smoking also causes dry mouth and bad breath. Eventually, your teeth will decay, which can permanently ruin the size and shape of your teeth. As such, the best thing you can do to prevent stained teeth is quit smoking. There are a lot of resources and tools available that can help you wean of smoking. As a result, you will enjoy many health benefits as well as pearly white teeth.

Brush with Fluoride Toothpaste and Use Mouthwash

Finally, brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste can help reduce staining on your teeth. Finishing off with a mouthwash can give you fresh breath and a thorough cleaning that helps keep your teeth free from plaque, bacteria, and stains.