The other day, I went for coffee with a friend, and instead of ordering her usual cup of joe, she ordered a cup of tea. 'Cutting down on caffeine?' I asked her. 'Oh no,' she told me, 'But I've noticed my teeth haven't looked as white lately and I suspect the coffee has something to do with it.' Which, of course, made me look wistfully at my beloved Americano and wondered if I was doing my pearly whites a disservice.Truth is, considering that my few joys in life are coffee and red wine, the answer is probably yes.
However, I've never really considered the effect my daily coffee has on my teeth. Have you? If not, check out
this article from AOL on the top teeth stainers. Here are few surprising sources of discoloured teeth:
- Too much fluoride.
- Certain medications, including tetracycline and some antihistamines
- Colourful foods like soy sauce and cranberries
- Dental damage
- Beer
As for drinks? The rule of thumb is this: If it can stain your carpet, it can stain your teeth. Yikes!