10 Foods that Stain Your Teeth: What Foods and Drinks Make Your Teeth Yellow?

What are the foods that stain your teeth the most?

You’re surely already aware that there are some foods that make your teeth yellow. Some of them are self-evident and well-known. Wine, for example, will stain your teeth if you aren’t careful about how much you drink and how you consume it.

In this article, you’ll learn about the foods that stain your teeth the most. But we’ll also cover how to prevent stains and how to whiten your teeth if they already have brown or yellow streaks from certain foods.

Read about the most common foods that stain teeth

Foods and drinks that stain teeth the most

1. Dark juices

Grape and cranberry juice are two of the most popular beverages that discolor teeth. While these drinks might help you achieve your daily fruit portions, they’re also concentrated sources of dark pigments, even if they’re natural substances. They contain acid, which is known to stain teeth.

TIP: Drinking lighter-colored juices may help you avoid these stains. The light color of apple juice, in particular, may assist in neutralizing and clearing away stains caused by other foods and drinks.

2. Coffee

Coffee can stain your teeth, particularly black coffee. On their way to work, many people will brush their teeth and then go out and get a cup of coffee. Because your teeth are porous, they absorb the liquids you put into your body. Even if you just drink one or two cups of coffee every day, the dark color of the coffee will quickly stain your teeth.

TIP: If you add a little milk to your coffee, it will lighten the color.

3. Tea

Many people may convert from coffee to tea in the hopes of preventing their teeth from becoming stained. The issue is that, depending on which kind you select, tea will still stain your teeth since it contains tannins. Tea with a deeper color is more likely to discolor your teeth.

TIP: If you can’t get enough tea, go for green or white teas instead of black. Green tea will still stain your teeth, but not nearly as much as black tea.

4. Soy sauce

Japanese and Chinese food lovers may be disappointed to hear that too much soy sauce may stain teeth. Any dark liquid has the potential to be one of the foods that stain your teeth, but soy sauce in particular has the tendency to stain your teeth because it is so concentrated.

TIP: Use soy sauce sparingly—because it’s high in sodium and a dark liquid, cutting down on soy sauce may not only make your teeth brighter but also help people suffering from high blood pressure.

5. Blueberries

Although blueberries are one of the healthiest superfoods available, the black stains they leave on your teeth may stop some people from eating them.

TIP: Blueberries do not have to be eliminated from your diet. Instead, just rinse your mouth with water after eating a handful to help remove the liquid from your teeth.

6. Pasta sauce

The staining effects of tomatoes in spaghetti sauce will leave your teeth vulnerable. Pasta sauce may quickly penetrate the enamel and create ugly stains due to its acidity, vivid red color, and inclination to stick to your teeth.

TIP: Eat a salad or dark greens like spinach or broccoli before delving into your Italian feast. These green veggies form a thin layer on your teeth, which helps to protect them from the staining effects of tomatoes.

7. Balsamic vinegar

It can be used to make a delicious salad dressing, but it can also stain your teeth. Due to its dark tint and propensity for adhering to your teeth, balsamic vinegar can make your teeth yellow if not rinsed away immediately.

Toss some crunchy lettuce with balsamic dressing into your next salad. As you eat, the crunchy lettuce will help remove the balsamic vinegar from your teeth.

8. Beets

If you’ve ever handled a beet, you’re aware of how quickly they stain whatever they come into contact with. If it stains your hands and cutting board, you should expect it to stain your teeth as well. Beets, like blueberries and tomatoes, are very beneficial to your health. They’re rich in essential nutrients, but their staining power is much stronger than the other foods on this list.

TIP: After eating, rinsing your mouth is generally insufficient. The easiest way to avoid stains is to brush your teeth within an hour after eating.

9. Curry

Curry, which is commonly included in Indian meals, is both appetizing and pigmented. Because of its dark yellow color, it may stain teeth over time, so it’s recommended to keep it to a limit in your diet.

TIP: Serve curries with stain-resistant fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, celery, or cucumbers whenever possible.

10. Soda

Soda is terrible for your health on many levels, but it’s especially bad for your teeth. It not only bathes your teeth in artificial sugar and acid (two things that are extremely harmful to your enamel), but it also contains dark colors that will stain your teeth.

TIP: You can probably avoid the stains by drinking clear or light-colored sodas instead of cola, but you won’t be avoiding the sugar or acid. It’s plausible that avoiding soda altogether is the best option.

What else can stain your teeth?

Tooth stains may be caused by more than just your favorite foods and drinks. If you’ve spotted yellowing on your teeth, one or more of the following causes might be to blame:

• Tobacco products: Cigarettes, pipes, cigars, and chewing tobacco may all leave tobacco stains.

• Tetracycline teeth staining: Teeth discoloration and staining caused by the antibiotic tetracycline are referred to as tetracycline teeth. Gray or brown stains that form streaks or bands over the teeth are the most common signs. 

• Wear and tear: Your teeth might get stained as a result of mechanical damage over time. The enamel on your teeth eventually wears away and thins after years of brushing. This can result in yellow stains on your teeth.

What foods help to prevent teeth staining?

Some fruits and vegetables may really help clean your teeth as you eat, preventing stains from forming. Consider eating one of these naturally cleaning foods after you consume foods that stain your teeth.

• Pears
• Apples
• Strawberries
• Pineapples
• Celery
• Cucumbers
• Cauliflower

It might be challenging to keep a white smile. You can help yourself by avoiding foods and drinks that stain your teeth and increasing your consumption of naturally cleansing foods. With a little more attention, you can transform your smile from ordinary to confident!

More tips to reduce teeth staining

• Consider using a straw while consuming dark-colored juices, coffee, tea, sodas, or energy drinks. This will prevent the liquid from getting between your teeth.
• Brush and floss your teeth as soon as possible after consuming foods or drinks that might stain your teeth.
• If you don’t have access to a toothbrush immediately, washing your mouth with water can assist in removing some of the substances.
• Tobacco products have a reputation for making teeth yellow. Try to cut back or avoid them entirely.
• Consider having a whitening treatment performed in your dentist’s office. Your dentist can whiten your teeth with a hydrogen peroxide whitening treatment.
• Use an over-the-counter whitening kit to brighten your smile. They might help, but these products don’t perform as effectively as whiteners recommended by a dentist.
• Use a whitening toothpaste. It’s unlikely to produce miracles, but it may help.

Conclusion

Teeth staining or discoloration may occur as a result of foods and beverages containing darker colors, tannins, or high acidic contents.

The good news is that you don’t have to give up your favorite meals or drinks to maintain a healthy smile.

Brushing your teeth after eating and drinking, swishing with water, maintaining proper dental hygiene, and using tooth-whitening methods or kits may all assist to keep your smile white and brilliant.