Wine stained teeth?

You have all heard that red wine can stain your pearly whites, so the logic is that white wine would be much better right? MAYBE!

A study was done at my own alma mater, NYU College of Dentistry, in which two sets of cow teeth were each soaked in white wine and water for a period of one hour. The sets of teeth were then removed and soaked in black tea to study the staining effects after immersion in both liquids. The result was a noticeably darker stain on the teeth that were originally soaked in white wine versus the set that was soaked in water.

What does this tell us?

“Dipping teeth in white wine for one hour is similar to the effect of sipping the wine with dinner,” stated Mark Wolff, DDS, PhD, professor and chairman, who oversaw the study. “The acids in wine create rough spots and grooves that enable chemicals in other beverages that cause staining, such as coffee and tea, to penetrate deeper into the tooth.”

So all things equal, wine itself can cause changes in the tooth surface that would increase the likelihood of staining. Red wine, long known to stain teeth, contains a highly pigmented substance called "chromagen", thus adding to the staining effect.

So what to do?

Lucky for us, modern technology allows us options to cover up or reverse the staining process. Veneers and whitening is always an option, but daily maintenance with a whitening toothpaste should work just fine. So enjoy life a bit more and feel free to open up that $56,000 bottle of 1787 Chateau d'Yquem - we'll be here if you need to brighten your smile!

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