While professional teeth whitening is really the only way to get at and remove deeper stains that are in the dentin of your teeth, there are many foods that aid in the removal of surface stains.
The dark pigments found in your daily coffee, tea, wine and fruit juices are the primary culprits that stain enamel. To defend yourself, add some teeth brightening foods to your diet and get ready to smile.
- Crunchy Produce – Coarse vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, celery, and carrots have whitening benefits when you eat them raw. Their fibrous flesh acts like a scrub brush. They require a lot of chewing, so as your teeth grind them up, these veggies strip superficial stains from the surface of your teeth. And the longer you chew, the more saliva your mouth produces which helps to break down stains.
- Fruits
- Strawberries, apples, nectarines, cherries, bananas, peaches and lychee contain malic acid that can dissolve superficial stains on the surface of teeth.
- Just chewing on apples helps scrub your teeth. Apples also have a high concentration of malic acid. Malic acid increases saliva, which cleans your teeth and helps to remove surface stains.
- Strawberries also have the added benefit of ellagitannins; antioxidants that can help reduce stain-attracting bacteria and inflammation in your mouth.
- Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme often used to reduce inflammation. This enzyme works to disrupt the proteins on the surface of enamel, breaking up stains and discoloration. Once the proteins are disrupted, your saliva will naturally wash the stains away, making teeth shinier and brighter.
- Dairy Products – Incorporate more dairy products into your diet for a whiter smile. Similar to broccoli, dairy products like cheese and yogurt cause your mouth to produce excess saliva, which helps to breakdown stains on enamel. However, unlike broccoli, cheese has an additional whitening effect as it contains lactic acid, which is similar to malic acid, as it helps to dissolve superficial stains on the surface of your teeth.
Cheese has the added benefit of helping keep your teeth strong with minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus, and protein that protect tooth enamel. And hard cheeses help clean your teeth by stimulating saliva.
- Seeds and Nuts – Structurally, seeds and nuts essentially act as an exfoliant for your teeth. The abrasive texture of sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, and cashews can actually strip stains from your enamel, buffing away discoloration and brightening the surface of teeth.
- Drink Water – Chase away the effects of beverages like coffee with a vigorous swish of water to prevent dark pigments from lingering on your teeth. Drinking water throughout the day promotes saliva production, which in turn helps keep your teeth bright. Sipping water during and after a meal also helps rinse your mouth of any debris and loose plaque.