One of the most common complaints we hear from our patients at Hawkins Complete Dental Service has to do with the color of their teeth.

In fact, it’s the most common complaint among patients in dentist offices across the country.

So why are so many of us sharing the same cosmetic dilemma with our smiles?

Today, our Zanesville, OH practice may have the answer.

It’s likely to do with what you eat and drink on a regular basis.

6 Reasons Your Teeth Are Stained

If you’re unhappy with the changes in the color of your teeth over the years, you can easily brighten your smile with teeth whitening treatment with Dr. Hawkins.

In the meantime, here are six reasons your teeth aren’t as sparkling white as they used to be:

Reason 1 – Your morning ritual begins with coffee.

Probably the most common source of teeth stains, coffee is that delicious, welcome jolt we need in the morning to perk up and face the day!

But the downside is that all the acid and dark pigmentation of your morning cup (or five!) will inevitably turn a bright smile into a dull, dingy one.

Reason 2 – You enjoy a fine red wine with dinner.

A glass of red wine, according to many studies, is good for your health. But as is often the case, too much of a good thing can easily turn into a bad thing if you’re not careful.

Along with the sugar and acidity of colored wines, you could be hurting your teeth if drinking it to excess or too often.

Acid will eat away at your tooth enamel, which not only allows the pigments in red wine to stick to your teeth, it makes it easier for anything you eat or drink to leave stains behind as well.

Reason 3 – You’ve made one too many trips to the sushi bar.

Sushi is delicious, but how often do you eat it without soy sauce and wasabi?

Without these two colorful flavor-boosters, sushi won’t stain your teeth. However, with the robust mix of wasabi and soy on that tiny plate next to your main dish for dipping, sushi can certainly be one of the reasons your teeth have taken a dark turn.

Reason 4 – You drink too many soft drinks.

We could write an entire blog about how soft drinks are bad for your teeth.

Today, however, we’ll try to stick to the issue at hand, and that’s the staining power of this popular type of beverage.

You know about all the added sugar in soda, but even diet soda is bad because all soft drinks are highly acidic. What this does is erode your tooth enamel, making it easier for dark or brightly-colored sodas to leave traces of their artificial pigments behind.

Reason 5 – You’re a smoker.

No surprise here!

Cigarettes and other forms of tobacco are notorious for the staining effect they have on teeth. Often, their brand of stains are the hardest to remove without the help of a dentist.

We encourage you to do what you can to cut back or quit the habit altogether.

You can also visit Hawkins Complete Dental Service to find out whether our teeth whitening treatment is right for you.

Reason 6 – You eat lots of fresh fruit.

Didn’t expect to see this one on the list, did you?

Fruit is incredibly good for you, so why is it a threat to the color of your teeth?

Because given the acidity and natural dark pigments of certain fresh fruits, such as blueberries, you may find teeth stains are a possible drawback of this, otherwise, healthy choice. To combat the staining, you can rinse your mouth out with water after snacking on a piece of fruit that’s bright and bold in color.

Call Now For Teeth Whitening Treatment!

Now matter what caused your teeth to turn from pearly white to yellowish brown, we can help! Dr. Hawkins offers remarkable teeth whitening methods using professional-strength gels and technology that give you results you deserve!

To learn more or to request teeth whitening treatment at Hawkins Complete Dental Service, call our Zanesville, OH practice 740-214-1301 or fill out our convenient online form.