Brits favourite brew gets its day in the sun on 21st April as the nation celebrates all things Tea. A whopping 60.2 billion cups are drunk each year in the UK alone and two of the top three destinations for a first date are coffee & tea shops. But are we damaging our teeth with our number one beverage of choice?
Tea is worse for staining your teeth than coffee due to staining compounds theaflavins, thearubigins, theabrownins. The more fermented the tea, the worse the staining will be. This process is different to coffee roasting, which relies entirely on heat to break down the beans.
High levels of tannins found in tea can lead to discolouration of the teeth. Tannic acid creates plaque on your teeth and causes yellowing.
In a recent survey conducted by dental brand White Glo, 46% of brits were found to notice people with bad teeth and 45% said they found people with whiter teeth more attractive.
In the same survey, almost a third (31%) of us said we were unhappy with the colour of our teeth. So, does all this mean we have to put down our tea cups forever?
White Glo’s dental expert, Jordan Kirk, says that both regular and fruit tea can have negative effects on the colour and health of your teeth: “tooth enamel is naturally porous and can absorb the tannins in tea, leading to unpleasant brown discolouration of your teeth”.
