While red wine can help you ring in the season, this holiday mainstay has a cosmetic downside. Having too much of it can lead to a stained smile, ruining your looks in the process. All that said, there’s no need to panic; you can still avoid red wine tooth stains over the holidays. Your Silver Spring dentist will even share some ways to do so! To that end, here’s a primer on how to prevent a wine-stained smile during the holidays.
Context: Red Wine Stains Teeth
It’s a solid fact that red wine discolors teeth. When this beverage reaches your enamel, its colored compounds often cause extrinsic stains.
The issue stems from three key aspects of red wine. The first of these are anthocyanins, grape pigments that give red wine its color; such pigments inherently stain smiles. Second are red wine’s tannins – biomolecules that bind dye to your teeth. Last but not least, red wine’s inherent acidity makes enamel porous enough for stains to stick.
Due to these three elements, red wine often darkens your smile. You’ll thus want to be careful with your holiday drinking.
How to Avoid a Wine-Stained Smile
If you want to avoid a wine-stained smile, you should adopt good oral habits. The most notable of these are:
Remember to Brush & Floss
If you don’t already, you should remember to brush and floss before you have wine. These actions remove plaque that can attract wine’s various staining compounds. Given that fact, some pre-drinking oral hygiene will deprive your wine of a stainable surface.
(On the other hand, don’t try to brush right after drinking. Doing so would spread wine residue across your smile.)
Thoroughly Rinse with Water
Your next move should be to rinse with water after drinking wine. Since the former beverage isn’t basic or acidic, swishing with it reduces your wine’s acidity and washes out remnants. Rinsing with water also stimulates saliva flow, keeping wine from drying out your mouth.
Use Special Oral Products
For sure-fire stain prevention, use special oral products like whitening toothpaste. Brushing with such items will treat discoloration that occurs on enamel, and it’ll keep new stains from forming. Just remember to consult your dentist about which products to get; they can suggest safe types.
If you don’t want red wine tooth stains over the holidays, use tips like those above. They’ll ensure your grin stays white and bright through the festive season!
About the Practice
Dental Center of Aspen Hill is based in Silver Spring, MD. Led by Drs. Allafi, Saba, Akber, and Jun, our practice aims to give every patient a truly thriving smile. We thus offer preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative treatments, all tailored to your grin’s unique needs. Whether you want a dental checkup or dental implants, our team is ready and eager to serve! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (301)-871-8000.