The natural composition of wine and your tooth enamel can result in wine-stained teeth unless proper steps are taken, according to the head of the faculty dental practice of Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

What to Know

• Wine poses a triple threat to teeth because of anthocyanins (the pigments in grapes that give red wine its color), tannins (which help bind the pigment to your teeth), and the acidity found in wine, which etches your enamel, making it more porous and easier for the stain to stick.

• Since plaque buildup on your teeth can make it look as if they are stained, you should brush your teeth 30 minutes before drinking, but not right after, since toothpaste can cause more etching in the enamel.

• Drinking white wine before red wine can exacerbate the staining because of the extra acid in the white wine.

• Swishing your mouth with water after drinking wine helps to reduce the wine’s acidity, as will chewing food, because it stimulates saliva.

• The strength of your enamel and how prone you are to plaque buildup are key to how much your teeth might stain, and brushing your teeth correctly as well as getting regular dental cleanings can help keep your enamel strong.

This is a summary of the article, “A Rutgers Dental Expert Offers Advice for Healthy White Teeth During the Holiday Season – And Beyond,” published in Rutgers University News on December 15, 2022. The full article can be found on Rutgers.edu/news.

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