A white dazzling set of teeth is desired by almost all of us, and we try different options to keep our teeth clean and spotless.
However, have you ever imagined that your favorite drink is responsible for your teeth stains? Many people think that tea has some constituents, which may leave mark on their teeth. Now, we have to thoroughly discuss on whether this concept is right.
Teeth stains of two types
It is to be noted that there are 2 ways in which your teeth may be tinged. The foremost one includes intrinsic marks that are caused due to the conditions, like nutritional shortages, trauma, and cavities.
Another one is extrinsic blemishes that happen because of some external factors, such as, drink and food.
Tea may stain your teeth
Nowadays, green tea has become most preferred beverage among many youngsters as well as adults, particularly women because it has beneficial nutrients that have low calories and large amount of antioxidants. Only 2 cups of tea may be healthy for you; however, while you are likely to turn it into your regular practice and raise the level of consumption, there’re few drawbacks that may be problematic.
However, the experts have observed that too much intake may not harm your teeth to significant extent yet dampen your teeth slightly. It may alter the original white shade of teeth to yellowish or stained look.
The components that stain your teeth
Whether it is herbal tea or green tea, all of them have staining properties, but these are in lesser amount, if compared to black tea. In fact, tea has a plant-based substance, called as tannins that enhance the potential of staining your teeth.
However, why and how does tea usually blemish your teeth? These beverages have some acidic property and they raise the porosity level of the external teeth layer. As a result, the pigmented particles, present in your teas, stick to your teeth enamel; that is why it leads to staining.
Tannin – A concept about it
Tannin may be present in any kind of beverage and food. For example, you have possibly heard the term, as it is very often applied, while speaking about the alcoholic drink, like wine.
To say shortly, it is one of the antioxidant, known as tannic acid that is a natural vegetable pigment.
Reduce teeth discolorations caused due to tea
Drinking tea may lead to permanent discoloration; however, it is easy to lessen the staining with the development of some good teeth care practices.
At your home, try to brush your teeth properly on a regular basis. In fact, brushing at least two times every day may be more effective. However, brushing just after drinking the tea is better idea for all. Drinking simple water after taking tea may also help to decrease the level of tannin, present inside mouth.
Besides, you may also try to change your habit from taking black tea leaves to the green or herbal teas in order to decrease staining, though it won’t remove the issue in general.
Brewing tea leaves with filters lessen staining
Tea, which has been steeped in paper filters or in tea bags may discharge less amount of staining particles as most of the part will get absorbed with the tea bag’s paper. Such a decrease of staining properties is highly pronounced in case of green teas as the temperature for brewing isn’t mush high like that of black teas. Indeed, the molecules to stain teeth may be lessened by almost 50 percent with the use of filter paper while preparing teas. In case of black categories, steeping with bags may still diminish the staining particles’ amount; however, the difference may not be quite significant.
Though brewing tea using loose leaves may be tasty with specific tea types, steeping the drink in relevant bags will assist you to control the staining while you’re concerned on blemished teeth.
Iced tea is better idea
Sometimes, iced tea may also reduce the staining capacity of teas because
- Theaflavins are not much soluble in nature in your iced tea. Under low temperatures, small amount quantities of theaflavins may stay soluble, thus iced tea generate less discoloration.
- This tea may more diluted in nature than normal tea. Due to smaller water and tea bag ratio, there is less amount of staining matters.
More alternatives to reduce stain
If it is really impossible for you to give up coffee or tea, there are some useful suggestions, which are right for you to remove all the stains on teeth.
- Swish one glass of water about the mouth just after sipping coffee or tea
- Prepare light coffee; then pour some amount of milk or cream
- Replace black tea with white or green tea
- On a daily basis, try to floss to eliminate plaque marks along the edge of tooth
- Apply some salt and baking soda to remove all surface spots, and cleanse using hydrogen peroxide two times every week
- Clean with teeth whitening paste instantly after finishing a cup in order to clear stains
There are some more options to clean teeth, and Oral Prophylaxis is one of those processes, undergone by lots of people to remove the yellowish tints, related to green tea. This is carried out only one time on every 6 months.
Why tea has more tendencies to discolor your teeth than coffee?
The main reason behind it is very simple. The thearubigins and theaflavins, which are found in any oxidized tea leaves, have quite higher likeness for your teeth surfaces than any staining substances, available in coffee.
Oxidation of tea isn’t parallel to roasting of coffee. During the roasting of coffee, heat is used to beans that split polyphenols. Thus, darker colored roasted coffee may generate less staining of teeth.
On the other hand, oxidation of tea is enzymatic procedure when polyphenols blend to create an extremely staining kinds of polyphenols. The interesting fact is that heat is truly utilized to prevent oxidation method of your tea.
When you sip completely oxidized teas, such as, Pu-erh and Black teas, the teeth may attract more amounts of more stains, in compared to the situations, when you drink coffee.
Such fact is really good new to all the coffee drinkers in this world. But, for those, who are quite fond of black tea leaves and do not like to drink less oxidized category of tea, the stated tricks may be beneficial.
Overall, it may be said that if you like to drink tea but want to avoid teeth stains, you must follow the above guidelines.
