Smiling, shining and white teeth add to everyone’s beauty. But in today’s modern lifestyle, keeping your smile spotless has become a big challenge. While many of us Indians start our day with a sip of hot tea, coffee becomes our support amid the stress of office work and we often resort to cola or cold drinks to digest heavy meals. Even though these beverages have become an important part of our everyday lives, have you ever wondered which of these drinks is causing the most harm to the shine of your teeth? Pune’s famous dental surgeon and implantologist Dr. Preyas Gaikwad has made many shocking revelations about the effect of these drinks on oral health, which every tea-coffee lover must know. Black tea is at the top of the dentist’s list, know why this healthy looking drink is the most dangerous. Often people consider tea to be a better and safer option for health compared to other sweet and carbonated beverages. But when it comes to the beauty of teeth, this belief proves to be completely wrong. According to Dr. Preyas Gaikwad, black tea tops the list in terms of removing stubborn and deep stains on teeth. The main reason for this is that ‘Tannin’ and many such dark colored natural compounds are found in black tea, which easily stick to the uppermost protective layer of our teeth i.e. enamel. People who drink tea several times a day or finish it by sipping it slowly while at work, the color of their teeth becomes increasingly yellow or brown over time. If professional cleaning (scaling) of teeth is not done by the dentist for a long time, these stains become permanent. Even coffee is not far behind in terms of staining, be careful if you are fond of caffeine. After tea, the contribution of coffee is also very big in discoloring the teeth and making them dull. It is important for coffee lovers to know that coffee contains extremely dark colored chromogens (color producing pigments). These pigments adhere strongly to the microscopic layers of tooth enamel and the plaque that forms on the teeth. As a result, gradually the natural whiteness of the teeth starts disappearing and they start appearing dull. If your oral hygiene habits i.e. brushing and flossing are not good and you do not visit the dentist regularly, then these dark coffee stains can make your teeth very ugly. However, adding sugar to coffee does not directly increase the stains, but it definitely invites tooth decay and other serious problems. Cola may cause less stains, but you will be shocked to know its real danger. Generally, seeing its black and dark color, people assume that Cola or carbonated soft drinks make the teeth black or stained the most. But according to dental science, the surprising thing is that Cola does not directly stain the teeth as much as black tea or strong coffee does. But this does not at all mean that Cola is safe. Dr. Gaikwad cautioned that the real danger of Cola lies in its highly acidic nature. The dangerous acids present in Cola gradually weaken and destroy the protective shield of teeth i.e. enamel. Once the enamel layer becomes rough or damaged due to acid, stains from normal food or colored drinks you consume become stuck to the teeth very easily and deeply. Also, the huge amount of sugar present in Cola increases the risk of tooth cavity (caries) manifold. Accurate ranking of dentists based on their ability to stain only: If we talk about the direct stains that appear on teeth and their ability to cause yellowing, then the experts at Dr. Gaikwad Dental Clinic, Pune have classified these popular drinks in this order based on their harm: No. 1: Black tea (stains the most and fastest yellowing of teeth) No. 2: Coffee (strips away the whiteness of teeth and turns them brown) No. 3: Cola (stains less) Oral health experts say that to save your pristine and beautiful smile, you do not need to give up your favorite beverages completely. You can easily prevent this damage by simply incorporating some very simple and effective dental precautions into your daily routine: Whenever you consume tea, coffee or cola, rinse thoroughly with clean and plain water immediately afterwards so that their residues do not remain in the mouth. Never make the mistake of brushing immediately after drinking highly acidic beverages like cola, because due to the acid the enamel is very sensitive at that time and brushing immediately can wear it out. Brush only after at least 30 minutes. Whenever you drink a cold drink or cola, always use a straw. This prevents the liquid from coming in direct contact with your teeth. When making tea and coffee, minimize or limit the amount of added sugar as much as possible. Brush regularly with a good fluoride toothpaste at least twice a day and floss regularly to remove debris stuck between your teeth. Visit your nearest trusted dentist once every six months and get your teeth professionally cleaned as per his advice.
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