Five drinks that are staining your teeth and could leave them permanently yellow

Some of the UK's most beloved drinks could be causing significant damage to your dental health, staining your teeth and eroding your oral health at the same time. A recent study by Sanitas has highlighted the worst food and drink culprits that can affect your dental health and potentially permanently change the colour of your teeth.

It's well-known that sugary drinks and processed products can harm your teeth and oral health. This study reinforces that these are the main culprits when it comes to eroding tooth enamel - a leading cause of dentist visits.

Having less tooth enamel can lead to a range of problems such as tooth fractures, but our diet can also more easily change the appearance of our teeth with a weakened barrier between our teeth and what we eat. Dental experts have issued a warning that regularly consuming five specific drinks can contribute to this erosion and simultaneously alter the colour of your teeth, potentially leading to more serious dental issues.

Starting with a global household favourite, the experts confirmed that coffee could be the culprit behind your teeth losing their whiteness. They also advised against red wine and dark soft drinks for the same reason, according to Infobae.

All of these products contain chromogens, which give these drinks their colour and have a tendency to stick to tooth enamel. Over time, layers of chromogens will colour the surface of your teeth, changing their hue, reports the Mirror.

Fizzy drinks, juices and other sweet beverages have been highlighted as ones to avoid due to their high sugar content. This sugar can nourish harmful bacteria in the mouth, leading to erosion of tooth enamel and making teeth more susceptible to staining.

Citrus juices such as orange and lemon were particularly noted for their acidity, which not only erodes enamel but also makes it more porous and prone to staining. This could even reveal the naturally yellow dentine layer beneath your enamel.