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Posts for: December, 2014
Here are all the day-to-day activities that are causing your dental stains.
If you look in the mirror and give a big smile, what do you see? Are you teeth a little more dull than they used to be? Maybe they may even be yellowing in some spots. If so, this is a pretty common complaint and can be remedied once you know what could be causing these stains. Your Reston dentist pinpoints the major day-to-day causes of your yellowing teeth.
1. That morning cup o’ Joe: About 83 percent of American adults drink coffee, which makes our country the biggest consumer of this beverage in the world. This averages to about three cups of coffee a day per person. So if you find yourself stumbling toward the coffee pot zombie-like in the morning, you may be unknowingly contributing to dental stains. If you can’t wean yourself off your daily caffeine binge, then try using a straw to sip your coffee. This way, less of the staining beverage will come in contact with your teeth.
2. That pre-workout sports drink: After an exhausting workout, nothing seems more refreshing than guzzling that sports drinks; however, these bottled beverages are highly acidic, which can weaken your tooth’s enamel and cause some nasty stains. To make matters worse, many sports drinks also have a high sugar content, which can cause decay. To protect teeth from stains, opt for a nice cold bottle of water after an intense workout.
3. Your afternoon tea: Sometimes you need a quick afternoon pick-me-up to get you through the rest of the workday. This is usually about the time some people switch to a cozy cup of tea. However tea is very similar to wine, as they both contain stain-causing tannins. In fact, tea may even stain teeth more than coffee. If you absolutely can’t part with your tea, then opt for herbal, white or green teas, which are less likely to stain.
4. When you feed your sugar cravings: Usually about the time you need that quick cup of tea you may also feel your blood sugar starting to plummet. This is when your body seems to be screaming for a chocolate or candy jolt and you may find yourself staring at the vending machine around 2pm. However, we all know how bad sugar is for our teeth and unless you plan to brush your teeth immediately after, we recommend opting for smile-friendly snacks instead like nuts, which can give you the energy you need to last you until the end of the workday.
Those unsightly yellow stains can make anyone self-conscious. If you’ve been trying whitening toothpastes and commercial gels without much success, it might be time to consider professional teeth whitening in Reston. We have the technology to get your teeth up to 10 shades whiter in under an hour! Call us today to see if teeth whitening is right for you.