What Your Red Wine Habit Is Doing To Your Chompers

Red wine is delicious, so it's no wonder that Americans will choose it over white wine 58 percent of the time. However, this preference can lead to teeth becoming stained. Thankfully, drinking red wine doesn't always have to lead to a stained smile. Armed with a few tips you can prevent your teeth from taking on a purple hue.

What Red Wine Does To Your Teeth

It could be said that red wine is an amateur sculptor and your teeth are its chunk of marble. Red wine is naturally acidic, and the acids in red wine work to carve your teeth on the microscopic level. This abrasive nature makes your teeth more than willing to absorb pigment from the wine.

Making matters worse are the tannins contained in wine. Tannins are what give wine its dryness or complexity. These tannins also act as a chemical binder for stains. This means they give the stain a tighter grip on your tooth's surface.

How To Avoid Red Wine Stains

It's only natural to want to keep your teeth looking their best. Thankfully there are a few things you can do to keep pesky wine stains from setting into your teeth. The easiest thing you can do to prevent stained teeth is to brush your teeth before you drink any wine. If you don't brush before drinking wine, any existing plaque on your teeth will help stains cling to your teeth.

Another way to keep red wine from seeping into your pearly whites are wine wipes. These handy wipes usually come in a compact with a mirror, making it easy to see and remove stains. Wine wipes are also flavor free. This means the wipes won't compete with the wine for your palate's attention.

Another option is to incorporate cheese into your meal. Cheese has a way of forming a natural barrier between your teeth and wine, so you can drink worry-free. After you're finished drinking just pop in a piece of gum, and you will find wine stains fade away with ease.

When All Else Fails

If you notice wine stains hanging on to your teeth, it's time to have a conversation with your dentist. A thorough cleaning with a mildly abrasive paste can remove a large portion of stains. However, if you are still concerned about your teeth's appearance you may want to consider having your teeth whitened. Your dentist (such as George S Cochran DDS) can whiten your teeth more safely and more thoroughly than you can at home, promising the best results. 

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