Does drinking tea cause your teeth to turn yellow? That’s an excellent question and a common concern for tea lovers everywhere. After all, nobody wants to see their pearly whites turn yellow, as it can certainly detract from one’s appearance, regardless of whether it’s a health issue.
Tea and Your Teeth
This is a matter of both health and appearance, so it shouldn’t be taken lightly. To get to the bottom of this, let’s first explore the relationship between tea and our teeth.
Tea leaves contain a beneficial amount of fluoride, a trace element essential for our dental health. Fluoride is a key ingredient for whitening and strengthening teeth. When it combines with the apatite in our teeth, it helps resist acid and prevent cavities. This is precisely why most toothpastes are fortified with fluoride.
Furthermore, the tea polyphenols found in tea can enhance the protective layer on the tooth’s surface, shielding the enamel and helping to prevent staining.
The Possibility of Yellowing Teeth
If tea is so beneficial, why do many tea enthusiasts report that their teeth have yellowed over time? This is a widely acknowledged phenomenon online as well.
Tooth discoloration is caused by a combination of external factors and the natural aging process of the teeth themselves. As we age, our teeth naturally yellow. Consuming or being exposed to substances that stain easily can also cause discoloration.
In reality, the claims from many tea drinkers about their teeth yellowing are valid. While the polyphenol oxides in tea are not traditional pigments, they can adhere to the surface of your teeth. If not cleaned away regularly, a layer of “tea stains” can accumulate, especially in hard-to-reach areas like the inner surfaces (lingual and palatal sides) of the teeth, as the smooth front surfaces are less prone to staining.
However, this doesn’t happen easily. It typically occurs under two conditions: first, a lapse in oral hygiene—not brushing or rinsing frequently enough allows the polyphenol oxides to cling to the teeth. Second, drinking excessive quantities of tea or brewing it too strong.
Chen Zongmao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, explains that fluoride is a double-edged sword; the line between beneficial and harmful is very fine. A moderate concentration is helpful, such as the small amount in toothpaste that prevents cavities. However, excessive levels become harmful, leading to dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis. The dental fluorosis mentioned by Mr. Chen is a form of tooth discoloration, causing the teeth to appear yellow and damaged.
Therefore, while the fluoride in tea is beneficial in moderation, long-term consumption of large amounts of strong tea carries the risk of excessive fluoride intake, which can have serious consequences.
How to Prevent Staining
To prevent your teeth from changing color, focusing on prevention during your daily tea routine is key:
First: Experts recommend rinsing your mouth with plain water after drinking tea and brushing your teeth thoroughly 2-3 times a day. If you follow this routine, your teeth are less likely to stain, even if you’re an avid tea drinker.
Second: Here’s a little trick to share: when brushing, you can add a tiny pinch of table salt or baking soda to your toothpaste. It can be quite effective for cleaning!
Third: Don’t drink tea excessively, and avoid brewing it too strong. So, what is a moderate amount? Professor Tu Youying from the Department of Tea Science at Zhejiang University suggests (in “Tea and Health,” 2011) that adults should typically consume 5-15 grams of dry tea leaves per day. The total water used for brewing this amount should be controlled between 400-1500 ml.
Of course, if you neglect these precautions and find your teeth have started to yellow, simple brushing may no longer be enough. At that point, a professional cleaning at a reputable dental clinic is your best option.
Finally, let me conclude with my own experience. If you truly love tea, you don’t need to be overly anxious about it staining your teeth. As long as you cultivate healthy tea-drinking habits—avoiding overly strong brews and excessive consumption—and maintain good daily oral hygiene by brushing and rinsing regularly, you should have nothing to worry about. I drink tea every day, and my teeth are still as white as ever!