chewy candy

The last thing you want is yellow teeth after years of wearing braces. But unfortunately, it’s a very common occurrence. If you don’t take care of your mouth while you’re wearing braces, you might be surprised to see white squares where your braces were on yellow-stained teeth after your dentist removes them. Thankfully, it’s easy to avoid this experience. Here are some reasons why people get yellow teeth after braces and how to prevent this from happening. We’ll also talk about how you can fix stained teeth after braces.

Brush Properly With A Toothbrush Made for Braces

With all the brackets and wires crowding your teeth, it’s easy for plaque to build up in hard-to-reach places. That’s why it’s especially important for you to brush properly when you have braces. When plaque is left to sit on your teeth, your teeth start to decay, causing them to turn yellow.
People with braces should ask their dentist about electric toothbrushes that are specifically designed for mouths with braces. These brushes will have bristles that are made to remove plaque around brackets and get through wires.

Floss Every Day, Getting Those Hard-to-Reach Spots

Having braces can feel like a great excuse to not floss, since it’s harder to reach the spaces between your teeth. But with more bacteria buildup, it’s extremely important to floss with braces. Just like with brushing, flossing every day will help keep your teeth from decaying and turning yellow.
Superfloss is the best type of floss for people with braces. It’s made up of three types of floss: soft spongy floss, a stiffened-end threader, and regular floss. The stiffened-end threader makes it easier to get between your braces, and the large spongy floss helps you clean around your brackets and wires.

Avoid Tooth-Staining Food

Some food and drinks contain colored properties that can stick to your teeth’s enamel and change their beautiful white color to yellow. These include soda and “sports drinks”, hard and gummy candy, red wine, and coffee. It’s best to avoid these teeth-staining foods and drinks as often as possible, or slowly consume them with glass of water. When you do eat or drink them, wash out your mouth and brush afterwards to keep them from staining your teeth.

Don’t Smoke

Smoking is a big culprit of yellowing teeth, along with other horrible diseases and issues. There’s really no good reason to continue smoking. One of the many effects of smoking is yellowing teeth, caused by the nicotine and tar in tobacco. This can occur not just from smoking, but also from chewing tobacco. Tobacco use is one thing you should quit for good - not just when you have braces.

Use Invisalign Instead of Traditional Braces

If you haven’t had braces yet, you should consider using Invisalign instead of traditional braces. Since Invisalign braces are removable, it’s much easier to keep your braces and teeth clean, reducing the chance that your teeth will turn yellow. Brushing and flossing will be exactly the same as when you didn’t have braces!

Receive Teeth Whitening Treatment After Braces

If your teeth begin yellowing while you have braces, you don’t have to say goodbye to your pearly whites for good. Ask your dentist about teeth whitening after braces! At Water Tower Dental Care, we use Zoom! Teeth Whitening to change the color of your teeth dramatically after just one visit. This leading teeth whitening system brightens up your smile up to 8 shades in about an hour. It’s as easy as that.
Don’t settle for a yellow smile. Contact us to learn more about whitening your teeth after braces! There’s no better place to bring back your beautiful smile than at Chicago’s top cosmetic dentistry.

We've been raised to believe that the only foods bad for your teeth are the ones that contain sugar: candy, chocolate, ice cream, etc. However, there are plenty of foods that you wouldn't expect to be bad for your teeth, many that we might snack on everyday. Take a look at our list of worst foods for your teeth too what you might be eating a little too much of.

1. Soda

It's no surprise that soda is incredibly bad for your teeth. The high amounts of sugars in carbonated sodas are outstandingly high. Sugars are great food for bacteria. Unfortunately, sodas also contain a high amount of acids that can also wear away at tooth enamel. So, while you may think diet sodas are less harmful to your teeth, in reality they're just as bad. If you must drink soda, it's recommended to drink while eating a meal rather than sipping throughout the day. Food helps clear the sugars and acids out of the mouth.

2. Pickles

Here's one of those unexpected foods: Pickles are soaked in acidic vinegar; it's what gives a pickle its flavor. Unfortunately, vinegar is just as harmful to your tooth enamel as any other kind of acid. Eating pickles on a regular basis can greatly increase the risk of worn tooth enamel. It's best to keep pickles as an occasional snack rather than a daily treat.

3. Chewy Candy

Another obvious food to avoid is chewy candies. These sticky gobs of sugar are a great meal for the bacteria in your mouth. That's because the sugars can easily stick between the teeth and gums. If you need something sweet, we suggest a piece of fruit.

4. Dried Fruit

And by fruit, we mean FRESH fruit. Dried fruits are just as bad for your teeth as candy. Why? Because they're very sticky, just like chewy candy, and are high in sugar. So when those pieces of dried fruit get stuck between the teeth, it helps bacteria grow. Again, keep to fruit fresh.

5. Red Wine

While you may think red wine is bad for your teeth because it can stain them (they can, it's from a compound called tannins). Red wine also contains an erosive acid, which wears away at tooth enamel. If you need a drink, you may want to consider a glass of pinot grigio of noir.

6. Saltine Crackers

One of the worst foods you can eat might surprise you. Saltine crackers are filled with processed simple starches (a different kind of sugar), which provide a field day of food for the bacteria in your mouth. Ever notice how crackers will start to stick to your teeth if you eat too many? That's just another bad sign that these sugars won't be leaving your mouth any time soon. Replace those saltines with grain-based crackers. They will keep your teeth healthy and curb bacteria from growing.

7. Sports and Energy Drinks

Believe it or not, sports drinks can actually be worse for you then sodas. Though they may not have the carbonation that sodas have, sports drinks and energy drinks contain a high amount of acid, which will wear away at the enamel on your teeth. Be cautious of replacing soda for a sports drink. Instead opt for water or milk, both great for your teeth.
If you'd like to replace a few of these items on our list for some healthier options, check our blog post of some of the best foods for your teeth and make the old switcheroo.
If you have any more questions, don't be afraid to contact Water Tower Dental Care, we'd be happy to talk.