Question:
What types of teas stain your teeth? Do all teas stain teeth? I know that
black teas stains teeth, but what about other types such as green teas and
herbal teas? Do herbal teas stain teeth at all? Does it matter if the
black/green teas are flavored? Would flavored green teeth stain teeth?
Answer:
I dunno, but there's been a thread here about lapsang souchong (sp ?)
staining teeth.
I've been watching the mirror, but see no staining from the green and
black teas I drink.
My dentist says that green and black teas stain teeth. Black teas
stain worse than green ones. Herbal teas may or may not stain; it
depends on what's in them. There's a lot more variability in the
contents of herbal teas than there is for true teas (camellia sinensis
based blends).
It is my understanding that the pigments in tea gradually accumulate in the
structural voids of tooth enamel. In plainer words, the colors get stuck. So
the equation is simplicity itself: Darker teas stain more. Nothing else
counts. Just apparent color. Daily brushing probably slows down the
process, but over a lifetime of tea drinking, a person can count on teeth
gradually taking on the coloration of tea. Dentists sell a bleaching
process that requires several visits.
I should think that it's the black teas, esp. taken with milk, that
stain teeth & cups. If you want a scare, just rinse your mug for a month
of tea drinking, then add one cup of coffee. Note how quickly the stain
buildup dissappears. Does this make you nervous?
