5 Tips to Avoid Staining Your Teeth this Holiday Season

Cold weather – or cool if you live in the RGV – brings about cravings for warm drinks like it’s nobody’s business. With the fall season already in progress and the winter season just a short time away, the warm beverages we tended to avoid in the summer are now some of our favorite go-to comfort drinks. The thought of a steaming cup of coffee or delightful hot chocolate, while wrapped in a fluffy blanket cuddling with our little hero, seems like an ideal Sunday morning for most of us.

We want to help you bring forth your best smile in every picture you take this holiday season. That’s why Little Heroes Pediatric Dentistry goes beyond basic dentistry services to provide a comprehensive list of dental and orthodontic services available throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Meet the team of doctors to find out why we are the top choice for dental and orthodontic care.

While we’d all love to give into the temptation of sipping on every warm cup of coffee we can get our hands on, the reality is that overconsumption of these dark beverages can lead to unsightly stains and yellowing teeth. So consider these tips to help keep your pearly whites…white (Oh…and it’s ok to have a cup of hot chocolate on a chilly fall night…just don’t over do it.)

Brush Your Teeth

The longer food or liquid sits on your teeth, the more likely it is the leftover particles will stain them. If you frequently sip on dark drinks, try to get into the habit of carrying a toothbrush and toothpaste kit, or a disposable toothbrush with some paste already included in the bristles. Recommendations for brushing your teeth are at least two times a day. If you can fit it into your schedule, aim for three times a day, especially when you’ve consumed more than your usual amount of dark liquids.

Floss Daily

Plaque leads to all sorts of tooth decay and stains when left untreated. Make sure to encourage your little hero to floss regularly. His or her growing teeth are susceptible to tooth decay that can have detrimental, long-lasting effects on their oral health. Flossing may be a little trickier to instill in your child’s daily dental hygiene regimen, but it’s worth the effort. Brush and floss daily to avoid plaque build-up and unsightly surface stains this holiday season.

Reducing the amount of plaque build-up on your teeth will help reduce stain development. Click To Tweet

Use At-Home Teeth Whitening Products

It really isn’t very feasible to visit your dentist every month to avoid stains and yellow teeth, particularly during the busy holiday season. Your best bet is at-home care with special whitening toothpastes and mouthwashes. You can even find sugar-free gums that help prevent stains between meals. The very action of chewing gum helps produce saliva that cleans and freshens your mouth.

Drink Plenty of Water

We all know water is good for you; we just never stop to think why. Water helps maintain our internal fluid balance so we don’t feel so thirsty or suffer dehydration. Those teeth-staining dark drinks we love so much should be consumed in moderation with plenty of water in between.

Drinking water after a dark liquid will help wash away residue that can stain your teeth. Click To Tweet

Use Straws with Dark, Hot Drinks

Drinking any dark liquid, cold or hot, with a thin straw will help reduce development of surface stains in the long run because the residue does not have the chance to stick to your teeth. Drinking from a straw may be no big deal for your little one, but as an adult you may feel silly at first. Still, the benefits of using a straw definitely outweigh having yellow teeth in your annual family Christmas picture.

Because we also tend to gravitate toward cool or refreshing dark drinks like wine, tea, soda, and grape juice, these tips apply to your everyday beverages.

To keep those pearly whites shining bright all year long, remember these five tips whenever you reach for that morning coffee or hot cocoa.

If you’re looking for a professional whitening service, to get your holiday season started, contact Little Heroes Pediatric Dentistry at any of our three Rio Grande Valley locations. You can call our Laredo office at 956-568-6690, our Mission office at (956) 581-4403, or our San Juan office at (956) 223-4428.