We love to enjoy a nice glass of wine or two, but our beloved vino can cause some serious damage to our teeth. Wine - along with some of our other faves, coffee and soda - can cause stains on our pearly whites and enamel erosion, too. And don’t think you’re off the hook if you don’t drink red wine, white wine isn’t good for our smiles either.
"Red wine is likely to leave dark stains or films on the teeth, staining them quickly," explains dentist Tatiana Herzog. "White wine, on the other hand, has a higher acid content. The acid in the wine slowly dissolves the enamel, causing the dentin to shine through. This is a more permanent stain caused by the slow erosion of the enamel."
So red and white wine cause trouble for our teeth, but it’s the bubbly we really need to watch out for. Dr. Herzog says sparkling wines tend to have the highest acid content and rosé has a high acid content as well. But no one’s suggesting you give up your glass of wine to protect your grin, the best thing to do is just enjoy a little cheese with it.
Eating cheese while drinking wine helps neutralize the acidity in the wine, protecting the enamel from erosion, Dr. Herzog explains. And she warns not to brush your teeth right after you finish a glass of vino because that can cause the enamel that has softened from the acid to be brushed away quicker. So have your wine and cheese, then wait a while to brush and you’re better off.