Not all that tea-rrific

Sahira Sandhu

There’s nothing better than a steaming cup of hot tea. When it comes to kick-starting the day, like many people, you might rely on a cup of joy. Ever wondered what it does to your teeth? Tea lovers take note—Your morning routine could affect your dental health. If it can stain your clothes, it can stain your teeth. This rule of thumb is also true about tea.

Does tea stain your teeth?

Although tea has many great health benefits, it can also cause stained teeth. But there are many different varieties of tea, and each has its own capacity to stain teeth. The darker the tea colour, the more of a chance it will lead to stains. Black tea is fermented for as much as an hour and a half before heat is used to dry it to halt the fermentation process. Green teas are steamed without any fermentation, which make it healthier than black tea.

How does it happen?

Tooth enamel is naturally porous and can absorb the tannins in tea, leading to unpleasant brown discolouration of your teeth. Tea contains a substance called tannic acid, which is what gives it the dark colour.

Count your sugar

Tea does not naturally contain any sugar, or even calories. However, commercial tea products add to it some sweeteners that may add up to 50 calories per cup and in some products may reach about 90 calories. Also, what people are accustomed to when drinking tea is adding sugar to it, so you can almost find some who can’t have it without sweeteners. More the sugar intake, more damage to the tooth.

Need for a healthy oral care habits

1) Reduce the number of cups you have per day. Also, try to avoid sipping your drinks and instead finish them in short period of time. Every sip is a new acid attack on your enamel, so it’s better to minimise your exposure to it as much as possible.

2) If you don’t like the idea of cutting down, consider drinking a glass of water after you’re finished with your tea.

3) Brush your teeth twice a day or more, especially after consuming coffee or tea. However, make sure you wait at least 30 minutes before brushing to reduce the risk of enamel erosion.

4) Avoid additives such as milk, lemon, or sugar.

5) Follow brushing after flossing to reduce the acids which can erode tooth enamel and cause teeth to become yellow.

6) Eating certain foods might also help remedy stains. Raw fruits and vegetables like strawberries and lemons contain natural fibres that clean teeth by breaking down bacteria.

(Dr Sandhu is a Chandigarh-based prosthodontics)