How to Remove Coffee and Wine Stains from Your Teeth at Home

Coffee and wine can both stain and discolor teeth. Aside from avoiding these beverages all together, there are some steps you can take to reduce and remove these stains from teeth.

The longer your teeth are exposed to the liquid, the more time they have to seep into and stain your teeth. So the first thing you can do to minimize staining is to reduce the amount of time your teeth are exposed to the liquids. Even after you are done drinking, the coffee and wine can still be staining your teeth. After you are done drinking, rinse your mouth with water. This rinses the film from the fluid off of your teeth, minimizing the amount of time your teeth are exposed to the staining agents in the drinks.

Even if you rinse after drinking coffee or wine you are still likely to accumulate tooth stains over time. To remove these stains at home there are a few options.

The first option is to use one half teaspoon of baking soda mixed in with your toothpaste once a day. Baking soda whitens teeth and helps to reduce and remove stains. You don't have to use it each time you brush, just once a day.

If you can't tolerate the taste and texture of powdered baking soda in your toothpaste, you can buy toothpaste that has baking soda in its formula. This is generally one of the ingredients in whitening toothpastes anyway, which are the types of toothpastes that will minimize staining anyway.

Another way to remove stains is to make sure you follow a strict oral hygiene regimen. Brush a minimum of twice a day. Floss thoroughly along the line of the teeth and gums to make sure you get rid of the tartar and staining in those areas. Brushing often doesn't get rid of bacteria and debris in these areas, so flossing will remove the thin stain lines from these areas before they become more deeply set in.

Using a hydrogen peroxide and water mixture rinse can brighten teeth as well. Be cautious though, because hydrogen peroxide is very acidic. Don't use a pure hydrogen peroxide rinse. The proper mixture should be three parts water for every one part peroxide. If you use a more acidic rinse you can actually make your teeth stain more easily. Acidic liquids weaken the enamel, allowing staining fluids to be absorbed more deeply into the teeth, thus making them harder to get rid of. Use the rinse for one minute, and then spit it out. To reduce any lingering acid on the teeth, follow the rinse with a pure water rinse. You can also remove coffee and wine stains from teeth using whitening strips, which can be purchased at your local pharmacy or grocery store.

Remember that the best option is to reduce staining in the first place, so drinking coffee or wine in a short period of time, rinsing with water (or drinking water) after having these drinks and following a strict oral hygiene regimen are your best defense against staining.

Sources:

"Tooth Whitening Treatments,"American Dental Association.

"Home Stain Guide," American Dental Association.