Most of us take vbery good care of our teeth, visiting the dentist regularly, and brushing and flossing often. Some of us may even have invested in braces or teeth whitening. I know i just can’t seem to get my teeth white enough! When I complined to m dentist about this, he asked me about the foods I eat and the beverages I drink, and sure enough, a lot of them were staining my teeth! Yikes! So here’s my list of the seven foods my dentist told me to avoid so I could have whiter, brighter teeth!

1. Coffee

But I love coffee, don’t you? Unfortunately, it’s one of the worst culprits, staining teeth even if you have just a little. If you can’t stay away from it entirely, try swishig with a mouth rinse after, or just plain water.

2. Tea

Not tea, too! If I can’t have coffee, I should at least be able ot have tea! Green or white teas, or just herbal infusions (called teasans) won’t stain your teeth, but black teas will, so avoid them if you can!

3. Chocolate

Well, I won’t be giving up chocolate any time soon, but at least now I’m aware that it might be staining my teeth. If yo want whiter teeth, and don’t mind giving up a treasured, favorite indulgence, my dentist recommended avoiding chocolate, too.

4. Blueberries

The juice and skin of blueberries is a natural semi-permanent dye, so it follows that if you eat many of them, your teeth will be stained. The good news is that the staining isn’t permenent. The bad news is that it’s… blue…

5. Colas (even Diet!)

Colas (like Coke and Pepsi) are another horrible teeth staining agent. Not only that, they’re loaded with sugar, acid, and all kinds of other things that can wreak havoc on your teeth and gums. If you want whiter teeth, avoid colas for sure!

6. Fruit Punch

If you’ve ever seen what fruit punch can do to a white shirt, then you already know that it stains. In fact, it’s not just fruit punch, it’s any colored fruit juices or fruit drinks. Even some fruits, like dark purple or black grapes.

7. Cigarettes!

Okay, I know this isn’t a food, but it is something you put in your mouth that causes horrible teeth staining, another great reason to quit! The staining from cigarettes is permanent, yellow, disgusting, and telling, and it gives you bad breath. Ick!

Make a mental note of all of these items and try to avoid them if you want whiter teeth with no stains. Also, try wearing red lipstick, since this makes your teeth look whiter, too! Do you know of any other foods to avoid for whiter teeth? Please let me know, so I can avoid them, too!