Wine and chocolate. It may be one of the best combinations since bread and cheese (but not as good as wine, chocolate, bread and cheese together). So no, this post isn’t going to tell you to avoid some of life’s best foods and drinks, only to be smart about it. Here are a few of the foods we consume on a daily basis but never knew were filled with teeth staining agents. Sure, you don’t need to avoid these foods completely, but also don’t make them a daily habit. **ahem, wine lovers**

Tea

Tea may be a healthy drink and something you are urged to have over sodas and other sugary beverages for example, but it is not the best choice when it comes to keeping your teeth white. Dentists say the brew, especially the basic black variety, can easily cause more stains than coffee can. The herbal and white teas can wear away the outer covering of the teeth called enamel, and even cause stains on your teeth.

Sauces

Who knew? They may be the one thing to make anything tasty but dark colored sauces like curry and tomato can easily cause stains. The best you can do with these is to switch to light colored sauces or creamy ones.

Sports Drinks

Acidic drinks and food can also influence your teeth. Energy or sports drinks can easily erode the enamel, which is just another way to say preparing ground for stains to appear. Counter this by opting for the healthier option of drinking water during this time.

Wine

If it can stain the tablecloth for forever then it can stain your teeth as well. This is not just true about red wine; In fact, white wine has just as much acid and can easily stain your teeth.

Berries and Other Fruits

Cherries, blackberries, pomegranates, and blueberries can easily stain your teeth. This is also true for pies and juices that are made from them. On the other hand, fruits that are paler like white cranberries and white grapes are less likely going to cause any stains. However they do have the acid that can hurt your enamel and are less likely to cause stains. That is why it is important that you floss and brush your teeth every time you eat vibrant colored fruits.

Soda

Thanks to acids and dyes even the light colored drinks out of these can lead to some serious stains. On top of that, the chemicals that add flavor to this can eat away the enamel too.

Sweets and Candy

If candies, like popsicles and chewable hard sweets can make your tongue change its color then imagine what they can do to your teeth. Fortunately unless you eat them on a daily basis they will not be able to do much harm to you.

Of course it’s difficult to cut back on some of these teeth staining foods, as most of us consume many of these foods daily. Some also provide necessary antioxidants for the body (no, you can’t use this as an excuse to binge drink red wine). With that said, when possible, drink with a straw and rinse your mouth after eating teeth staining foods. And above all else, don’t overthink it.