Does peppermint tea stain teeth?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question “does peppermint tea stain teeth” with an in-depth analysis of whether or not peppermint tea stains the teeth. Moreover, we are going to discuss the ways to prevent or get rid of tea stains and the foods that cause stained teeth.

About 80% of the world’s population currently relies on indigenous or traditional medicines for their primary health needs, and most of this therapy involves the use of plant extracts, often in aqueous solutions (1). 

So without much ado, let’s dive in and figure out more about it.

Does peppermint tea stain teeth?

Studies show that extracts from peppermint leaves contain calcium, which are beneficial for teeth health (1), however, there is no scientific evidence that peppermint tea can stain teeth. Peppermint tea is a type of Tisane, a drink made by pouring boiling water onto particular types of dried or fresh flowers or leaves. It is also caffeine-free with very low levels of tannins and moderate pH. Therefore it does not stain your teeth. Unless the acidic nature of tea is enhanced by adding other ingredients, peppermint tea in itself doesn’t damage your teeth.

Moreover whether or not the peppermint tea will stain your teeth depends upon the processing techniques and the final pH of the tea. The acidic nature of the drink could negatively affect the surface degradation, leading to a decrease in wearing resistance and roughening of the surface. The roughening of the surface by wear and by chemical degradation may also affect “gloss” and consequently increase the extrinsic staining (5).

But there is a catch to this whole thing, if you are making the peppermint tea from the fresh mint leaves then the chances of the tea to stain your teeth are close to nil.

How tannins cause stained teeth?

Tannins are chemicals that are also found in wine and coffee. Tannins are polyphenols in nature and they break down in the presence of water. Of the substances found in tea, tannins are thought to be responsible for the staining of teeth. Tannins generally bind to and precipitate proteins. Various proteins in human saliva also bind to tannins (2).

So what happens is that when we tea, the tannins present in it make the color compounds stick with our teeth and these color compounds can leave yellow stains or marks on the teeth. It is reported that peppermint leaves extract contains low amounts of tannin, compared to other compounds, such as flavonoids and terpenoids. Tannins were reported to have therapeutic uses due to their anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antioxidant and healing properties (1).

Thus, if you consume a lot of tea, your pearly white teeth won’t be white anymore and will have the hues of yellow on them.

Does tea stain teeth?

So when it comes to tea, almost all the varieties, the processed ones, and the herbal teas have tannins present in them that are the culprit that result in stained teeth. 

It is worth mentioning that the darker the color of the tea is, the more will be the chances of it staining the teeth. Thus, black tea tops the list when it comes to staining teeth. The consumption of green tea, black tea, coffee and other foods, beverages, salts and medications may cause teeth staining with yellow, brown, gray-blue or gray-green tones (3). 

So no doubt tea gives you a soothing and refreshing feel when you consume it, but when it comes to dental health, they are not so good for your teeth.

Is peppermint tea useful for your oral health?

Now when it comes to peppermint tea and oral health, peppermint tea freshens your breath. Moreover, it also helps in improving dental health by protecting the teeth from cavities and plaque owing to its antibacterial effect.

Peppermint oil can be used for toothache by soaking a cotton ball in the oil and placing it in the cavity or rubbing it on the tooth. Peppermint leaf tablets and capsules, 3–6 g per day, can be used as a mouthwash to relieve gum inflammation (4).

You can read about the benefits of peppermint tea here.

How to remove tea stains from the teeth?

There can be several ways to get rid of tea stains. What you can do is to use whitening toothpaste and whitening strips to protect your pearly whites. Moreover do not forget to brush your teeth twice daily.

Professional care, such as mechanical prophylaxis with polishing paste or air-powder polishing combining water and granular sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking soda) removes staining, but it requires time and effort as well as treatment costs each time. In contrast, self-care using dentifrice is easier than professional care because it is done at home. In particular, self-brushing using an electric/sonic toothbrush has been reported to provide a stain removal effect that is superior to manual brushing with toothpaste (6).

If you are into home remedies, you can even try to brush your teeth with toothpaste and baking soda. All you gotta do is to damp your toothbrush, put some toothpaste on it and afterward sprinkle some baking soda on it, and brush your teeth with it.

Last but not least you can get the help of your dentist and can schedule for biannual cleaning, which will get rid of those nasty tea stains on the teeth. 

How to prevent tea stains?

It is always said that prevention is better than cure and that is also true in the case of tea stains. So even if you do not want to fully eliminate the tea from your diet, we recommend you to at least consume it in moderation.

Moreover, it is recommended to add some milk to your tea to prevent it from staining your teeth. Try to drink your iced tea with the help of a straw to minimize the interaction of tea with teeth (2). Moreover, instead of drinking your tea sip by sip in a really slow manner, try to make this whole tea consumption process a bit fast so that the tea and the tannins present in it won’t interact with your teeth for a long time. 

You should cut back on the quantity of sugar that you add to your favorite tea as they only speed up the whole tooth damage thing (5).

You can also add some fruits like strawberries and apples to your diet that have a positive impact on your tooth health.

What are the different foods that stain teeth?

So many food items can potentially harm your teeth and can leave spots on them owing to their high sugar content or the presence of color compounds in them (2,3,5).

  1. Soda
  2. Coffee
  3. White wine
  4. Red wine
  5. Popsicles
  6. Sports drink
  7. Sweets
  8. Blackberries, raspberries, pomegranate and fruit juices, due to the acidity
  9. Tomato and tomato-based products, due to the high acidity

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the question “does peppermint tea stain teeth” with an in-depth analysis of whether or not peppermint tea stains the teeth. Moreover, we discussed the ways to prevent or get rid of tea stains and the foods that cause stained teeth.

Citations

  1. Gadaka, M. A., A. B. Muazu, and I. U. Muhammad. Phytochemicals and Elemental Analysis of Methanol Leave Extract of Peppermint Tea (Mentha Piperita L.). Food Sci Qual Manage 2021, 108, 50-53.. 
  2. Pehlivanoğlu, Bilgenur Şahin, and Gülden Ereş. Milk Reduces Enamel Staining Caused by Black Tea and Chlorhexidine Mouthwash. Beverages, 2022, 8, 40. 
  3. Watts, A. M., and M. Addy. Tooth discolouration and staining: a review of the literature. Brit dent j, 2001, 190, 6.
  4. Taheri, Jamile B., et al. Herbs in dentistry. Int dental j, 2011, 61, 287-296.
  5. Erdemir, Ugur, et al. Effects of energy and sports drinks on tooth structures and restorative materials. World J Stomatol, 2016, 5, 1-7.
  6. Haruyama, Akiko, et al. Combined use of baking soda and electric toothbrushing for removal of artificial extrinsic stain on enamel surface: An in vitro study. J Clin Exper Dentist, 2022, 14, e9.

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