Eating Your Way To White Teeth

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

April 15, 1999 / 12:53 PM EDT / CBS

Dentists offer everything from bleaching solutions to laser treatments to give patients the bright smiles they want. But one dentist says that you can keep your teeth white simply by watching what you eat. Dr. Jeff Golub-Evans, a cosmetic dentist, shares his tips on CBS News This Morning.

Vogue magazine calls Dr. Jeff Golub-Evans "the guru of cosmetic dentistry." He has produced thousands of dental makeovers for models, actors, rock stars, and everyday people. Now, he has pooled his years of experience and designed "The White Teeth Diet." Most of the diet comes from his after-care instructions to patients who have whitening work done on their teeth.

Are some of us just destined to have less than pearly whites?

A large part of it depends on heredity -- whether your mother and father have great, white teeth. It also has to do with whether you've taken a lot of antibiotics growing up, which can dull the appearance of your teeth, or the type of water you drank. In some places, the water has more salt, which can damage teeth.

What kinds of things darken your teeth?

Smoking, dark liquids and dark foods are the key items that darken your teeth. This includes coffee, red wine and spaghetti sauce. All of these are dark in color. They are also fairly thin substances which makes them easily absorbed into the tooth. Sticky foods like chocolate, cheeses and guacamole are also bad for your teeth's color. They are very plaque-forming and stains tend to accumulate in plaque.

Can you do anything to reverse or prevent the staining?

Once your teeth are stained there isn't much you can do naturally to reverse the discoloration except see a dentist. He or she can bleach them or whiten them with a laser instrument. But if your teeth are a currently a good color, you can adjust your diet to keep them that way.

Eating and drinking light colored foods and beverages is the easiest way to keep teeth white. White wine instead of red, ginger ale instead of a Coke, bagels instead of blueberry muffins. Abrasive foods like celery, carrots and apples are also good. These foods quickly and naturally remove staining foods from your teeth as well as get rid of plaque.

But some staining foods have nutritional value. Are you saying we have to forgo nutrition for pretty teeth?

No. There are some foods that stain that are good for you and you should keep eating them. And then there are also foods that you just love, like chocolate, and don't want to give up. In those cases, you should rinse your mouth well with water after eating. That will wash away food particles from your teeth and prevent the staining. Brushing after every meal is ideal, but also unrealistic for many people.

What about some of the tooth whitening products offered in drugstores?

The sugarless whitening chewing gums that are on the market seem to work well. Studies show tha their active ingredient, xylitol, helps prevent plaque buildup, which is an attractant for staining agents. So, I recommend to my patients that they chew a couple of sticks for 20 minutes after a meal. Trident, Breath Assure and Arm n' Hammer all have whitening gums available. Whitening, plaque-busting toothpaste may also help but they can probably only lighten your teeth by half a shade.