There are foods that dull the whiteness of your teeth, making them look yellow. With that in mind, we want to give you a list of some of the foods that make your teeth yellow.

Lemons and Other Acidic Foods

People often put lemon in their water and eat healthy foods that are high in acid. While they are very good for you, they are not good for your teeth. The acid can eat away at the enamel slowly exposing yellow tinged dentin.

Orthodontics in Atlanta and Marietta, GA

Coffee, Tea and Soda

Whether you drink coffee, tea or soft drinks, you are at risk of them dulling or yellowing your teeth. Coffee and tea have tannins in them that discolor teeth. They also alter the pH balance in your mouth which can speed up the damage from acidic foods you eat.

Dark Berries

Remember seeing the commercials about how dark berries stain dentures? Well, the same thing applies to your teeth primarily because of the pigment in them. However, dark berries have strong health benefits. If you indulge, just be sure to brush your teeth immediately after.

Wine

Whether red or white, wine causes teeth to lose their whiteness. With red wines, those pesky little tannins get hold of your teeth and discolor just like they do with coffee. White wine is more acidic which eats away at the enamel. This causes substances to stick to those pockets leading to discoloration from other foods along with making your teeth look discolored. This doesn’t mean you have to stop drinking wine altogether; you just need to maintain moderation (but you knew that).

Candy and Sweets

We preach and preach to our patients about the negative effects of candy and other sugary treats, so there is really no reason to go into detail. While a lot of foods offer a variety of health benefits, candy and sweets provide none, so it is best to simply avoid them. And, on those occasions where you just “need something sweet,” brush and floss as soon as you can so the sugar doesn’t sit on your teeth.

How to Prevent Yellow Teeth

Even though foods can cause your teeth to yellow or lead to tooth decay, there are steps you can take to prevent yellow teeth. For most people, it all goes back to brushing and flossing on a daily basis. Luckily, when yellow teeth just happen, we have advanced treatments to whiten teeth.

If you are interested in finding out more about how to whiten your teeth or need a new dentist, please contact us to schedule an appointment.

During Halloween children eat more candy than they do all year. Candy is very hard on teeth and braces and should be avoided or reduced to guarantee the best orthodontic results.

How Candy Can Harm Your Orthodontic Work

The brackets, bands, and attachments that make up your braces are sensitive to force. There are different types of candy and many forms are hard and/or sticky. Hard candies can get stuck in parts of braces or cause damage to the teeth because of the force that is required to chew and break down the candy. At Wright Orthodontics it is quite common to repair braces that have chipped or popped off due to hard or sticky foods (most commonly candies).

What to Do to Maintain the Health of Your Teeth

Your braces are an investment, and you want to give them the best possible chance of improving your smile. Follow these tips to help maintain the health of your teeth:

Brush and floss your teeth on a regular basis
Avoid foods that could cause damage to your dental devices
Schedule regular dental appointments (even after orthodontic care)
Discuss with your orthodontist any concerns you have about treatment

It may be tough to avoid the foods you or your children love, but avoiding them will save you trouble in the long run and keep your teeth healthy and braces happy.

Wright Orthodontics encourages our patients in both Atlanta and Marietta, GA to avoid or limit candy consumption with braces to achieve the best results possible and maintain dental health. Feel free to contact us with any questions or to schedule a checkup.

Visit us at one of our two convenient locations