While regular dentist appointments and teeth cleaning will keep your mouth healthy, there's more you can do to maintain a bright, white smile. What you eat and drink plays a role in how your teeth look—and not just because too much sugar can cause cavities. Certain foods stain your teeth, causing lasting yellow and brown colors that require teeth whitening treatment to remove. Here are three common culprits to watch out for.

What Foods Should You Limit for Whiter Teeth?

1. Beverages

Common drinks you enjoy every day are the biggest causes of food-related stains. Beverages high in tannins, including tea, coffee, and both red and white wine, will essentially dye your teeth yellow if you drink them too often.

Soda is the worst dietary decision when it comes to dental enamel; not only does it contain sugar and staining dyes, but it's also acidic, which weakens the enamel and makes it more vulnerable to decay and stains.

2. Curry

Some of the spices used in curry have a strong color. Turmeric, for example, creates such a powerful, lasting yellow that it's actually been used as a dye for hundreds of years. It will stain your teeth as well, so eat curry dishes sparingly and brush as soon as you can. If you’re dining out, rinse your mouth out afterward and brush when you get home.

3. Tomato Paste

Like soda, tomatoes are acidic. Just eating tomatoes in your food is normally not a problem, but tomato paste is an extra-concentrated version, and its dark red color causes stubborn stains. Foods like marinara sauce that use tomato paste stain teeth just like they stain food containers and clothes.

If you need teeth whitening to reverse food stains, choose Martin & Rutledge Family Dentistry in Gulf Shores, AL. Serving southern Baldwin County since 1993, they believe in creating a partnership between patient and dentist and are proud to have earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau®. They have a more accommodating schedule than most and are regularly open on Fridays as well as offering weekend appointments for emergencies. To schedule treatment with a dentist, visit the website or call (251) 968-4446.