We all love a good glass of red. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a long day and the best accompaniment to a fancy dinner or a night out on the town. But there is one major buzzkill that comes with our beloved vino: dental stains. You know the look—purple lips and tinted teeth.
The reason red wine stains is because of three things: intense color pigments called anthocyanins, tannins, and acidity that make your enamel more porous. Basically, your teeth become little sponges for that purple dye.
Fortunately, you don’t have to give up your favorite Cabernet or Merlot to keep your pearly whites looking fresh. Here are seven solid tips to enjoy wine without staining your teeth.
1. Brush Before You Sip
You’d think brushing right after drinking would scrub the wine stains away, but doing it before you start sipping is actually the move.
Plaque (that sticky film of bacteria that hangs out on your teeth) is like a magnet for wine stains. Anthocyanins love to stick to plaque way more than they stick to clean enamel. By brushing about 30 minutes before you pour your first glass, you’re removing that sticky layer so the wine has less to grab onto.
2. Sip Some Water on the Side
Drinking water alongside your wine isn’t just good for preventing a hangover tomorrow; it’s a protective measure for your teeth tonight. The reason is pretty intuitive: Swishing water around in your mouth helps rinse away the wine before it has a chance to settle into your enamel. It also stimulates saliva production, which is your mouth’s natural defense system against many things, including stains.
Moreover, saliva is crucial because it helps neutralize the acidity in your mouth. When the pH level in your mouth drops (becomes more acidic), your enamel softens. This makes it more susceptible to extrinsic staining—that’s the fancy dental term for stains on the outer layer of the tooth. Drinking water helps bring that pH back up to a neutral level.
So make this a habit: one sip of wine, one sip of water. Your head and your teeth will thank you.
3. Don’t Skip the Cheese Board
Yes, you read that right. Eating cheese is actually good for your teeth! This is arguably the best news ever, right?
Hard cheeses like cheddar, gouda, parmesan, and Manchego act as a barrier for your teeth because they have a high calcium content, which helps strengthen teeth.
But the real magic is in the texture. Chewing on hard cheese stimulates saliva flow (again, saliva is the MVP here), and the waxy texture of the cheese can actually fill in the micropores of your enamel. This creates a physical barrier that prevents the wine tannins and chromogens from sinking in deep.
Even better yet, cheese raises the pH in your mouth, combating the acid erosion from the wine. So go ahead and load up that charcuterie board. It’s basically preventative medicine at this point!
4. Stick to High-Fiber Foods
If cheese isn’t your thing (or if you’re dairy-free), high-fiber foods are another great ally in the war against wine teeth. Crunchy veggies like celery, carrots, cucumbers, and broccoli work like natural toothbrushes. As you chew them, the fibrous texture scrubs the surface of your teeth, helping to wipe away stains before they settle.
Moreover, chewing these foods takes a bit of work, which kicks your salivary glands into overdrive. It’s the same principle as the cheese hack: more saliva means better neutralization of acid and less staining. If you’re at a party, hovering near the veggie platter isn’t just a healthy choice; it’s a smart move for your smile.
5. Wait to Brush Afterwards
You’re supposed to brush right before you drink wine to remove plaque. Naturally, you should also brush right after to wash any lingering stains away, right? Nope!
As we mentioned earlier, wine is acidic. This acidity causes acid erosion, temporarily softening the enamel of your teeth. If you take a toothbrush to your teeth while the enamel is soft, you’re literally brushing the enamel away.
Of course, this is happening on a microscopic level that won’t really hurt your dental health if it happens once or twice. But if you make a habit of brushing when your mouth is acidic, that could pose a long-term risk for your smile.
Dental professionals recommend waiting at least 30 to 60 minutes after your last glass before brushing. This gives your saliva enough time to remineralize the enamel and harden it back up. In the meantime, stick to rinsing with water. If you absolutely must freshen up, use a fluoride mouthwash, but keep the bristles away for a bit.
6. Use a Straw (If You Dare)
Okay, we know drinking red wine out of a straw is a social faux pas. It’s not exactly the classy vibe you want at a dinner party. But technically speaking, it works. Using a straw by-passes the front surfaces of your teeth, delivering the liquid straight to the back of your mouth.
This minimizes the contact time between the wine and your front teeth, which are the ones everyone sees. If you’re at home in your PJs and really want to protect your smile, who cares? Pop a straw in that goblet.
7. Keep Up With Your Dentist
In the end, the absolute best way to protect your smile is to keep up with your visits to the dentist. By scheduling your biannual cleanings, you can control and remove tartar (hardened plaque) that your toothbrush can’t budge. Tartar is porous and holds onto stains for dear life. By getting it scraped off regularly, you’re starting with a clean slate.
Plus, your dentist can provide stain-removing treatments that are far more effective and advanced than whitening toothpaste and other over-the-counter options. Or if you already have noticeable staining that whitening treatments won’t mitigate, your dentist can provide cosmetic dental procedures. For example, they can apply porcelain veneers to your teeth, instantly covering up old stains. Then, they can teach you how to care for these veneers so that your next glass of wine won’t do any damage.
Overall, staying on top of your dentist appointments means your teeth have a professional who can keep them clean or fix them if need be.
And there you have it—seven tips to enjoy wine without staining your teeth. Give them a try so you can savor your favorite drink with none of the dental worries.
