Wine is the highlight of many social gatherings. A traditional gift when attending a dinner party is typically wine. The sophisticated beverage finds itself an accompaniment to many evening meals in households everywhere.
The primary issue with indulging is the resultant “wine” teeth, a phenomenon generally associated with the purple hue that develops on the teeth after consuming red wine. Find out what the product can do to your teeth at https://www.winespectator.com/articles/what-does-wine-do-to-your-teeth/.
Some individuals struggle relentlessly with severe discoloration from drinking, while others only occasionally. The reasons depend on the intricacies of the tooth enamel and the consistency of the red wine.
The pigment in grapes derives from “anthocyanins,” which is why the wine is red. The substance also has an elevation of “tannins,” producing what is a “delicious astringency.”
Unfortunately, this causes the color to attach to the enamel. And due to acidity, each tooth is particularly vulnerable since the enamel is marred, producing a more porous surface, causing deeper staining. White wine has the same qualities; it actually offers a higher level of acidity but with no staining since – no pigment.
Tips For Avoiding The Dreaded Wine Teeth
Many people become self-conscious after indulging in a glass or two of red wine, wondering the potential effects it might have on their teeth. The stains from the red pigment can be incredibly unappealing, leading most to hide their smiles. The enamel’s porous surface is especially vulnerable to the deep hue and only after a mere sip or two.
While a tooth might look and feel smooth, the outer layer with the enamel holds thousands upon thousands of tiny pores prone to becoming full with stains from foods and beverages with that capacity like red wine or coffee. White wine, of course, won’t stain but offers a more significant degree of acidity.
That means if you enjoy a glass of white and then red, your teeth will be especially susceptible to deep, intense staining. Besides abstaining from the drink altogether or perhaps sticking with only white, learning how to remove wine stains is relatively straightforward. Some helpful hints include:
- White: Follow the same tips with white wine that you would with red. The white color won’t stain your teeth, but the acid etches the tooth’s surfaces making the enamel more porous. That means any food or beverage with deep hues will create a more intense stain.
The same preventative tips you attempt with red wine need implementing with white wine as well. If not, any foods or beverages that typically induce stains you have along with the drink will stain deeply, perhaps marinara sauce.
- Brush: If you know you’ll be having the popular beverage, make sure to brush your teeth ahead of time and rinse thoroughly. Plaque makes an area to which the substance can adhere. Go here for details on how a glass each night might destroy your teeth.
Once the meal or event is over, it’s important to brush once more, and again be sure to rinse to remove the acid from your mouth. But make sure to wait an hour or so before doing this since the acid has the enamel especially vulnerable. You could experience exceptional sensitivity with the rubbing of the toothbrush.
- Water: This can be beneficial in a few ways. Alcohol can dehydrate. Many suggestions indicate you should have a cup of water for every cup of alcohol you have. Further, when drinking glasses of wine, claims suggest you should take a sip of water each time you sip the drink.
It helps to wash the pigment away while drinking the beverage. The most effective for this preventative is sparkling water instead of flat due to the bubbles is the indication.
The downside with this solution is the need to be consistent with alternating between the two cups as you go throughout your evening. If you’re at home having dinner, it won’t be such a cumbersome activity, but it might become burdensome when it comes to a social gathering or event. It’s genuinely a matter of discipline.
- Hard Cheese: Wine and cheese are an ideal combination, so this solution should be very doable. You can nibble on hard cheese or choose another type of food with low acidic content and high fiber level.
Cheese is ideal since it stimulates the flow of saliva that adheres to the enamel and helps to balance the oral pH, thus protecting the surface from any harsh acids like those in wines. You can also choose vegetables and fruits (non-acidic) or nuts offering the same effect as cheese.
- Gum: Of course, you want to avoid sugars when using this method. Still, chewing gum boasts a beneficial technique for also stimulating the saliva to wash away staining. The suggestion is to chew for approximately 20 minutes.
The act of chewing gum can be off-putting in a social situation or at a gathering or event. You might need to wait to worry about stain removal after leaving the party or excuse yourself to take care of business.
Ironically, you don’t genuinely want to abstain from having red wine. The substance consists of “polyphenols,” an ingredient beneficial for teeth. These help to keep the bacteria responsible for decay from sticking to the surfaces.
Final Thought
A good end-of-the-day step is to brush and floss before going to bed. Make sure it’s at least an hour after having the last drink. Even if you incorporate any or all of the steps mentioned here, doing this will give you a nice fresh mouth and rid the enamel of any acidic residue.
In that way, when you wake up to your first cup of coffee for the day, you won’t have to fear the potential for brown stains filling in the pores where the acid roughed up the surfaces. Plus, this is simply a part of good oral hygiene. If you want to preserve, protect, and present a nice pleasant mouth and smile, you have to put in the work.
