How white wine can leave your teeth stained

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated:


woman drinking a glass of white wine

Damage: Acid in white wine creates rough patches on teeth which then  stain more easily with drinks like tea

If you're worried about red wine staining your teeth, it's no good turning to white because it has a similar effect, say scientists.

White was thought to be kinder to teeth, but researchers have found that acids in it create rough patches on teeth that then become stained by chemicals in drinks such as tea and coffee.

Experts at New York University College of Dentistry dipped one set of cow teeth - whose surface resembles that of our own - into water and another in white wine.

Those soaked for an hour in white wine before being immersed in black tea had significantly darker stains than teeth soaked in water and tea.

But red wine was still worse. Using the same technique, the resulting stains were much darker than those from white because of a highly pigmented substance in red wine called chromogen.

Study leader Professor Mark Wolff told the International Association for Dental Research in Miami yesterday: 'Dipping teeth in white wine for one hour is similar to the effect of sipping wine with dinner.'

But lovers of white wine do not have to cut back if they want to protect their teeth.

He added: 'The best way to prevent staining caused by wine, as well as other beverages, is to use a toothpaste containing a whitening agent.'



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