Your teeth have tons of tiny pores. Coffee, wine, tobacco, and the foods we eat (such as dark berries and such) travel into these pores and cause your teeth to stain well below the surface of your enamel. Over time, these stains worsen and the discoloration becomes more evident. 

It is completely natural to experience this type of tooth staining – it’s actually unavoidable if your diet contains any of the above mentioned food or drinks. These stains will not go away, either, unless you do something about it. 

Stainchanging Tip #1: Use a metal straw when drinking coffee or wine! This will keep your teeth away from direct contact with the coffee/wine when you’re taking a sip. This will reduce the exposure time between your teeth and these tooth stainers! 

The first recommendation that we make is that we take care of any plaque before moving on to the next step of teeth whitening. 

Plaque builds up on the surface of teeth and staining can occur here as well. “Whitening toothpastes” are commonly misunderstood. These toothpastes do NOT actually have any whitening ingredient – instead, they have abrasive ingredients that work to scrub the plaque away from the surface of your teeth. 

Brushing with charcoal powder works in the same way! It’s important that this layer of plaque is removed before moving on to the next step of teeth whitening – which is the physical reversal of stain discoloration. 

Stainchanging Tip #2: If you use a whitening toothpaste or Zimba Charcoal Powder, make sure to brush gently (much gentler than you normally would) so you don’t harm your enamel! 

There are a number of products that claim to whiten your teeth – but most teeth whitening products use a similar ingredient to whiten. The main difference is typically in the device that is used to hold the whitening formula against your teeth. 

Custom-fitted whitening trays from your dentist could cost upwards of $500. However, these effects will not last forever. We recommend whitening your teeth at least once every other month in order to keep them at their brightest potential. However, with prices like that – it would cost a fortune to keep going back to your dentist. 

Other at-home whitening kits can cost you $100-$300. Again, not exactly the most affordable price if you’re looking to do more than one treatment per year. 

Zimba Whitening Strips are extremely effective, with noticeable results occurring as quickly as the first treatment. One box comes with a full two-week treatment, and the best part is that it only costs $25. This is the type of price you should be looking for in a product if you’d like to complete multiple treatments per year. 

Stainchanging Tip #3: Find a product that works with your budget, especially if you plan on doing multiple treatments! 

Now that you’re aware of what causes tooth staining, you can put your knowledge into action! After your first treatment, your teeth will stay noticeably whiter than before for up to 6+ months. However, the results will start to fade as new stains from coffee, wine, etc. build back up. 

That’s why it is so important to continue your whitening regimen year-round. In addition to a multiple-treatment approach, you’ll want to avoid foods that stain as much as possible. Brushing your teeth immediately after drinking coffee or wine can help reduce the staining effects these drinks have on your teeth! 

Stainchanging Tip #4: Don’t let your stains sink in! Brush your teeth after that glass of coffee or wine.

If possible, it’s best to do your whitening treatment just before bed. The reason for this is because right after you’re done whitening, those pores in your teeth are slightly more open than usual. This can lead to restaining which is not what we want to do! 

If you whiten your teeth just before bed, you won’t have to worry about consuming any foods that might cause restaining – because you’ll be asleep! This will also give your teeth time to rehydrate overnight. 

If you do whiten in the morning, make sure to avoid coffee, wine (no one is drinking wine in the morning) and other stain causing foods for at least 30 minutes following your treatment. 

Stainchanging Tip #5: Whiten at night! If you whiten during the morning, make sure you let 30 minutes pass before consuming any food or drink that could cause restaining!