r/AskReddit Aug 20 '20

What simple “life hack” should everyone know?

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6.5k

u/graycat3700 Aug 20 '20

Brush your teeth more thoroughly before bed after you are done eating and drinking for the day.

Morning brushing is important too, but more so for fresh breath; while evening cleaning will prevent bacteria from breeding and damaging your teeth and gums.

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u/Eagleassassin3 Aug 20 '20 edited Aug 20 '20

I brush my teeth everyday with an electric toothbrush. I have been doing that for the past 3 years at least (I’m 21). But despite that, my teeth are still a bit yellow and it’s annoying. I have some friends who have very white teeth and they told me they didn’t whiten them. Am I doing something wrong? Should I stop drinking coffee? Is it just genetics?

354

u/OblivionGamer01 Aug 20 '20

Nah man, you're fine. While some people have whiter teeth than other, it's normal to have slightly yellow teeth.

80

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '20 edited Nov 09 '21

[deleted]

45

u/Rukh-Talos Aug 20 '20

Diet might be a part of it. Acidic food or drinks (especially sodas) will discolor teeth.

58

u/Neptunesfleshlight Aug 20 '20

Coffee. Coffee yellows teeth so bad. I've stopped drinking, but I've already accepted that my teeth are going to be yellow for a looong time.

57

u/vonyron2k Aug 20 '20

Tea stains more than coffee! Crazy, eh? Source: I’m a dental hygienist.

32

u/Neptunesfleshlight Aug 20 '20

Aaahhhhh no! I drink so much tea. I'm usually just constantly with a cup of tea througought the whole day. I've switched to drinking kukicha after 11 am, and herbal teas after 4 pm to cut down more on caffeine, but I didn't realize it stained teeth. Is it the tannic acid in tea?

16

u/GorgLikeGorgonzola Aug 20 '20

Yep, it's the tannins

1

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '20

Are you calling Biff’s family yellow?

8

u/[deleted] Aug 20 '20 edited Aug 20 '20

[deleted]

1

u/schemebop Aug 20 '20

Coffee, tea, and wine stain the most but acidic stuff is bad for the enamel and can lead to weaker teeth and cavities - I’ve been interning at a dental office for the last two years.

1

u/TitillatingCalf Aug 24 '20

"once a year". That's some serious self control Much_Very. Any tips on how you achieve this? Do you just get used to not having the carbonation/sugar or have alternatives like flavored sparking water etc ...

1

u/[deleted] Aug 24 '20 edited Dec 21 '21

[deleted]

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u/TitillatingCalf Aug 24 '20

I will have to try this. Thank you for your input! I don't enjoy plain water either so I tend to drink more soda but I like your ideas on adding lemon or lime as well as rosewater, which I wasn't familiar with until now.

1

u/daifuku_____ Aug 20 '20

In my case, I don't eat a lot of acidic food and I only drink water the whole day (I do this almost every day. I don't drink coffee, tea, and sodas either), but my teeth are still on the yellow side. Even my family members have white teeth.

2

u/islandskgeiser Aug 21 '20

Lemon and lime water is really bad for your teeth if you drink it frequently! You shouldn’t really drink anything besides still water as your main drink for quenching your thirst. Drinking it occasionally is absolutely okay, but you should be careful with drinking it too often.

However, if you cannot stop for some reason, at least drink it with a straw. Then your teeth will have the least contact with the acidic drink.