Virtually all teas stain teeth. But green tea, due to its uniqueness and high benefits to the mouth, you may be wondering if it can stain your teeth too?
Indeed, green tea can stain your teeth. Green tea contains tannins. This makes it very easy to leave stains on the teeth. But, the nature of stains left by green tea on your teeth is not as pronounced as other teas.
This is because green tea contains the lowest amount of tannins (with an average of 2-4%) as compared to other teas.
Meanwhile, what types of stain do green leave on the teeth? How can you prevent green tea from staining your teeth? Worry no more! These and many more questions will be answered in this post. Just read till the end!
What Type of Stain Does Green Tea Leave on Your Teeth?
Of course, green tea stains teeth like other teas. But the nature of stains is not the same. This disparity is due to the difference in acidity.
For instance, black tea is more acidic (pH ranging from 4.9 to 5.5), and it often leaves a yellowish stain on the teeth.
Green tea is alkaline than acidic (pH ranges from 7-10). Hence, you should expect a dull gray stain on your teeth whenever you consume a cup of green tea.
And when it comes to the type or variety, today, no research has shown the type of green tea that doesn’t stain the teeth. But, the level of stains may vary from type to type and brand to brand.
This is because the level of tannins varies from brand to brand and type to type. So, if you want to retain your glittering white teeth, you should purchase the type or brand of green tea with low tannin levels.
Does green tea stain worse than coffee?
No doubt both green tea and coffee stain teeth. But, which one leaves more stain on the teeth? Well, since the two beverages have tannins (a compound responsible for teeth staining), no one is better between the two.
The level of teeth discoloration depends on how often you take the two beverages.
You don’t expect someone who takes green tea once in a while to have more stains on the teeth than someone who takes coffee every day.
Meanwhile, because coffee is more acidic (pH 5.35) than green tea (pH 7-10), you should expect coffee to stain teeth more than green tea.
Besides, coffee stains are more obvious than green tea. Or do you think a dull gray stain will be more pronounced than a dark brown stain?
Can Green Tea Cause Tooth Decay?
Tooth decay is the erosion of the enamel. It usually occurs when you take a lot of acidic food. However, the pH of green tea ranges between 7 and 10. This is more alkaline than acidic.
So, green tea cannot cause tooth decay. Green tea even contains fluoride, which can help prevent tooth decay.
But, you must note that some factors can increase your chance of having tooth cavities while drinking green tea.
For instance, adding sugar to your green tea can increase the bacteria-producing acid causing tooth decay, resulting in tooth decay.
Are Green Tea Stains Permanent on Teeth?
Like other beverages, green tea stain is extrinsic. That is, the stain occurs when the tea comes in contact with your teeth. However, the fascinating thing about extrinsic stain is that it is not permanent and can be removed if noticed early and properly treated.
In this view, green tea stain is not permanent and can be reversed if noticed early. However, the stain may be tough to remove if too much green tea comes in contact with your teeth. Why?
The higher the tea comes in contact with your teeth, the more tannin is released and the more stubborn the stain becomes.
How to remove green tea stains from your teeth?
Removing green tea stain may not be a walk in the park if you don’t know the knack for doing it. However, to do, this is not farfetched.
Foremost, you should start practicing good oral hygiene. For instance, ensure you brush your teeth thoroughly with toothpaste rich in abrasive (especially baking soda) each time green tea comes in contact with your teeth.
If brushing is not enough to remove the stain, you can also try the following option:
1. Regular Flossing
Flossing is one of the best ways to get rid of stubborn stains on the teeth. Daily flossing will prevent the build of tannin or other components in green tea that could lead to teeth stains.
Apart from the teeth, your gum will also become healthier if you make daily flossing your routine.
2. Natural Whitening Food
Food like celery, chestnuts, cucumber, orange, strawberry, to mention a few, can also help to remove green tea stains. For instance, strawberries are very rich in malic acid – an enzyme known for teeth whitening.
Therefore, you can chew strawberries after consuming a cup of green tea so that the strawberry’s malic acids can neutralize tannin’s effect on your teeth.
Meanwhile, eating natural whitening food may not be fast, like brushing or flushing your teeth. But the fact that it is a natural solution makes it more reliable.
3. Visit the Dentist
This is unarguably the best solution when you notice any stain on your teeth. The dentist knows the best way to remove stubborn or easy green tea stains.
How do you Drink Green tea without staining your Teeth?
Yes, green tea stains teeth. But does that mean you should abstain from drinking it? You shouldn’t do that because you will know that the tea is worth drinking when you consider its benefit to the body.
Meanwhile, here are tips on drinking green tea without staining your teeth.
1. Add milk
Consider milking your tea to prevent tooth stains if you are an avid green tea drinker. Milk contains casein which can bind the tannin in green tea, thus preventing it from sticking with your teeth.
Of course, this will significantly reduce tooth stains.
2. Use Straw
Since green tea only stains the teeth when it comes in contact with the teeth, it is advisable to drink it using a straw. A straw will ensure you have your tea directly into your throat.
3. Avoiding steeping green tea for long
If not for tannin, who will be bothered about green tea and teeth stain? Well, you can still reduce the levels of tannin in green tea. How? Just avoid steeping your green tea for a long period.
This is because the longer you steep green tea, the higher the tannin in it.
4. Use Water
Water is another essential component that helps to prevent green tea from staining the teeth. Drinking water after consuming a cup of green tea is not potent enough.
Instead, swish with it immediately a cup of green tea is consumed. This will effectively flush out the buildup of tannin from your teeth.
Final Thoughts
Green tea can stain teeth. But you can remove the stain by practicing several oral hygienes. Besides, you must beware of the amount of green tea you consume daily.
Taking one or two cups can prevent tannin buildup on your teeth, thereby reducing teeth stains.
But, if you think one or two cups are not enough for you, you should start drinking your green tea with a straw. This will prevent tannins from making contact with your teeth.
Meanwhile, if the stain is too much or seems insurmountable, I advise you to stop taking green tea or go for other tea such as herbal tea that leaves little or no stain on the teeth.
