We can all be guilty of indulging in some festive cheer at this crazy time of year. Unfortunately our teeth can come off second best from our summertime wine sipping, especially if you are partial to red wine. The good news is that there are things you can do to minimise or even prevent staining on your teeth. Here we share our top tips for keeping wine from staining your teeth.
- Brush your teeth before you begin drinking. Red wine (as well as other food and drink like coffee, tomatoes, coke and curry), tends to cling to the plaque on your teeth so the best way to minimise stained teeth is to keep your teeth plaque-free. The general advice is to brush approximately one hour before drinking – this ensures your teeth are clean without being too short a time frame to risk tainting the taste of your drink.
- If you plan on drinking red wine, don’t begin with white wine. The high acid in white wine erodes your tooth enamel and can act as a primer, making the red wine tannins cling to your teeth more. If you plan to drink red wine then start with it and stick with it.
- Sip on sparkling water in-between drinks. The bubbles can help to loosen up the wine clinging to your teeth and minimise staining.
- This is a no-brainer, but always brush after drinking. Never go to bed without brushing – not only does this help to keep your teeth white but it is also essential for good oral health.
- Eat cheese while drinking red wine. They naturally go together anyway, but cheese is high in calcium which helps to close the micro-pores on the surface of your teeth and make it harder for wine to stain them.
- Eating foods which are high in fibre – such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and potatoes – encourage your mouth to make more saliva, which can help to remove the staining tannins as you chew.
- If your teeth do start to show evidence of your love of red wine, our professional teeth whitening services are the most effective way of removing those stains and restoring your pearly whites.
