15 Foods That Cause Yellow Teeth (#10 Is Really Surprising!)

Let’s be honest, shall we? We live in a society that places a great deal of approval and self-worth on appearances. Just one look at the celebrities with their super white pearly whites and you realize that yellow or stained teeth are not a fashion statement of which anyone should be proud. Exactly why do our teeth turn that ugly yellow-grey color? Of course you know that certain foods and drinks stain your teeth, but what you probably don’t know are some of the lesser known foods and beverages that can stain teeth or that wear down the enamel on your teeth. That allows their porous interior to be exposed so that they then absorb just about everything with which you come into contact. So while we can’t live on just water, there are plenty of foods that are known to stain our teeth, and you should be aware of them so that you can take steps to avoid turning looking like the wolf man. We will tell you at the end of this article how to best avoid yellowing or stained teeth. 1. Curry Sauces Curry is absolutely famous for turning teeth yellow. One look at any Indian native over 25 years of age, and you will know that this super healthy spice, also known as turmeric, can turn the teeth yellow over time. 2. Beets If you have ever gotten some beet juice on clothing, a tablecloth, or even your hands, then you know very well how that purple juice stains everything it touches. Now imagine what it can do to your teeth! Beet juice is especially powerful when it comes to staining your teeth and other items. They are super healthy so you don’t want to stop eating them, but be sure to follow our two steps at the end of this article to avoid stains! 3. Coffee Perhaps the most well-known stain maker of all time. Dark colored drinks, such as coffee, especially black coffee or espresso, can really do a number on your teeth. Adding milk to your coffee will go a long way towards lightening the color and limiting the yellowing of your teeth. Continue to Page 2 4. Sugary Treats Brightly colored candy and hard candies, really, do a number on your teeth. First, the sugar turns acidic in the mouth. The longer you chew on these candies, the more damage they do to the tooth surface. Then, the color is absorbed by your teeth. If your favorite candy stains your tongue, it will stain your teeth over time. 5. Blueberries This is another one that almost everyone knows will stain teeth and hands and anything else it comes into contact with. Blueberries are super healthy, and one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet, so don’t stop eating them! Read our two tips at the end of this article that will tell you how to avoid tooth staining when you eat foods like blueberries. 6. Black Tea Many people think tea is safer for the teeth than coffee, but that is not actually true. Tea contains tannins, which stain the teeth. Tea has many health benefits, so you don’t want to stop drinking it. Simply change to herbal teas or green tea, which have more health benefits than black tea anyway. If you must have your cuppa, try adding milk to your tea to lighten the color. Continue to Page 3 7. Tomatoes Tomatoes will stain your teeth whether it’s tomato sauce, tomato paste, or tomato juice. This doesn’t mean you have to stop eating your favorite Italian food; you simply need to read our tips at the end of this article to find out how to avoid staining your teeth with your Friday night spaghetti. 8. Popsicles/Slushies/Icees/Snow Cones All of the above are terrific ways to beat the heat in the hot summer months, but oh, those bright colors! Those will wreak havoc on your teeth! Again, if they are staining your tongue or lips, they will do the same to your teeth. 9. Red Wine Red wine loves your heart and your brain, but it certainly has no love for your teeth. Of course we would never ask you to ditch that bottle of wine, it has too many health benefits (and it tastes so good!). Just keep reading and find out how to keep red wine from staining your pearly whites. Continue to Page 4 10. Fruit Juice Although these are nowhere near as damaging to the teeth as those brightly colored sports drinks, fruit juices are terribly acidic, which means they wear down the enamel on your teeth, leaving them susceptible to absorbing colors from your foods and drinks, including juices such as cranberry juice, orange juice, and tomato juice. 11. Sodas Sodas are not your friend anyway, and you should best stay away from them, but if you are going to indulge, you should know that sodas, especially colas and those bright fruit flavored sodas are some of the worst things for your teeth. Like candy, the sugar turns acidic in your mouth, and it quickly wears away the enamel, and then your teeth absorb the color from these drinks. This also applies to some of those brightly colored, sugar-filled sports drinks. Avoid these as much as possible, for your health’s sake and for the sake of your teeth. SEE ALSO: Why Vegetarians Have Better Teeth Video 12. Soy Sauce Dark colored drinks are not the only danger to your teeth --many condiments such as ketchup and soy sauce are also a danger. One way to determine if a food or drink can stain your teeth is to consider that if it can stain clothes or hands, then it will stain your teeth eventually. Continue to Page 5 13. Balsamic Vinegars Although we love balsamic vinegars for our salads, those dark colors will stain your teeth over time. Don’t replace that vinegar with those unhealthy salad dressings -- we have two ways below to stop your favorite vinegar from staining your teeth. 14. Chili Sauce In much the same way that curry sauce and tomato sauce can stain your teeth, chili will do the same. Red chilies are the worst offenders with green and yellow close seconds. If you like it hot, you don’t need to cool things down -- just follow our two tips to stop teeth staining at the end of this article. 15. Brightly Colored Vegetables Although they are super healthy and you must not stop eating them, some brightly colored veggies can really do a number when it comes to your teeth. You might think after reading this article that you should stop eating or drinking certain foods, but other than foods that contain sugar, you can continue to eat your favorite healthy foods and drinks and avoid staining your teeth by following the two simple tips below. Continue to Page 6 1. Drink water That’s right. This is a super easy and simple way to avoid staining your teeth. Drink plenty of water during your meal and afterwards to wash these colors off your teeth. Don’t brush immediately after eating, however. Your tooth enamel is softer after eating acidic foods and consuming acidic drinks for about 30 minutes afterwards, so brushing will only make things worse. If you want to be really certain that you have washed off these tooth staining foods, simply rinse your mouth with water after eating. 2. Eat an appetizer of spinach or broccoli Spinach and broccoli form a protective film over your teeth so that foods and drinks cannot seep into your porous teeth. They also protect your tooth enamel, keeping those pearly whites hard and strong to fight damage from acidic foods. Lettuce such as romaine lettuce, not iceberg, will also do the same thing, so have a few pieces of plain romaine lettuce before digging into your salad, or eat some spinach or broccoli before your meal for plenty of protection from those ugly yellow teeth. Read more about foods that give you whiter teeth. Keeping a mouth full of beautiful white teeth does not get much easier than this! References: Emedicine.medscape.com Dentistry.about.com Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

15 Foods That Cause Yellow Teeth (#10 Is Really Surprising!)

13. Balsamic Vinegars

14. Chili Sauce

15. Brightly Colored Vegetables

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