While we encourage you to uncork the cabernet and polish off the pinot, we do acknowledge that drinking red wine can, in fact, stain your teeth. According to the American Dental Association, red wine has a few properties that can result in extrinsic stains on your teeth. First, there is a high concentration of the naturally occurring pigments (anthocyanins) that give the grapes their purple color. Second, wine is acidic, which makes your tooth enamel more porous, allowing more staining pigments to be absorbed. Finally, tannins in the wine help bind the colored pigments to your teeth. The best way to proactively prevent staining from occurring is to maintain healthy tooth enamel so that it’s more difficult for wine and other staining substances, like coffee and tea, to stick to your teeth.
You can help avoid red wine teeth staining by brushing your teeth and flossing regularly. This removes the plaque that builds up on your teeth throughout the day. Plaque causes wine to stick to your teeth, exposing them to the staining pigments for longer time, and leading to deeper stains. A good rule of thumb is to brush your teeth a half-hour before drinking red wine to remove plaque. After drinking, you’ll want to wait at least another 30 minutes before brushing again so not to expose teeth to the acidic quality of toothpaste immediately following contact with acidic wine. That could have the harmful effect of removing more enamel.
Drinking water between glasses of wine is also helpful. The water helps flush out some of the wine’s acidity. Water helps with saliva production, which further cleanses the mouth of wine. Eating food while sipping your vino is another way to naturally produce the saliva which will break down the wine in your mouth. Constant saliva production means less time for your teeth to be exposed to high concentrations of staining wine pigments. So, reach for that cheese and charcuterie board!
Other handy tricks for removing short term red wine stains from teeth include the use of wine wipes (available at most wine shops), brushing with baking soda (or toothpaste that contains baking soda), and using hydrogen peroxide as a mouth rinse before you brush. Both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide have natural whitening properties, but overuse can damage your tooth enamel, so it’s recommended that you do not use methods involving those substances on a daily basis. Of course, the best way to remove stains and make sure your tooth enamel stays healthy is with regular dentist visits and cleanings.
Bottom line: don’t be afraid to sip your favorite reds, just make sure to take a little extra care to protect and maintain that bright smile!
