I really love green smoothies! But they are causing some severe teeth staining. At my last cleaning my dentist was NOT happy It took her some time to remove all the stains. So now I'm very careful. After having a green smoothie I immediately wash my my mouth with waterpik, floss, and then brush with sonic toothbrush. I use straw when I drink them too! And yet, if I take them 3-4 days in a row, in spite of all the cleaning efforts, my teeth become grayish, and some stains start to develop. I use baking soda to scrub them off, but it's not a solution, because it doesn't clean between the teeth and it can potentially cause damage to tooth enamel. I used to have a green smoothie everyday for breakfast, and now I cut down to about 3-4 a week. Green smoothies are so popular, yet I found hardly anyone complaining about the teeth staining. Is it only me? Has anyone else experienced this? Any tricks to prevent it? I really miss my daily green smoothies



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2013 06:13PM by littlemermaid.

I'm curious to know what you put in your green smoothies, because I don't get the staining at all. I don't use greens in mine every day though - sometimes lettuce, parsley, cilantro, endive, other vegetables.

did you change toothpaste to a non fluoride? The teeth are made by a web. Non fluoride paste maskes the holes of the web larger (and weaker) and easier to stain. For healthy teeth, you need D3 (to absorb calcium), Iodine (to drive calcium to the right places), Calcium, and protein. People don't need that much Ca but it is usually wasted so some people eat huge amounts to compensate. This is bad if the parathyroid gland is not working. It hardens your body like a rock as if aging (unhealthy) by accumulating Ca in the wrong places. Some staining is normal and pure white is fake. Pure white teeth is a new social trend (like in a tribe) but it is not what it is supposed to be.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2013 08:38AM by Panchito.

I use different types of greens - parsley, lettuce, kale, chard, dandilion, carrot and beet tops..

Panchito, I never used fluoride. I believe that it's toxic. I use natural tooth powder to brush my teeth, like this one [www.uncleharrys.com]

I do eat variety of raw fruit and veggies, so I'm *hoping* I'm getting most of my nutrition. I only supplement with D3, B12 and MSM.
I agree that pure white is not natural, but what can one do if you have to live in the society and kind of follow some esthetical norms. If I don't watch out my teeth get really bad looking with green smoothies though... My dentist even had to change a filling on one of my front teeth, because the staining got into the edges of it and was impossible to clean out :/

Can teeth be too porous (not have enough enamel and therefore stain more easily)? I am wondering if this is a reflection of the state of your teeth versus the greens.

I don't know but it sounds like too much emphasis (and possibly abrasion) on the teeth. Also, what about hydrogen peroxide?

Do you know about Peelu? It is an African bark and supposed to brighten teeth naturally. You can find it at a health store or online.

banana who, thanks for your suggestions.
I'll look into hydrogen peroxide and Peelu.
I'm more curious though in why is it happening and how to prevent it. My conventional dentist has no clue. She just told me to stop taking whatever I'm taking
I have no idea if my teeth are too porous or don't have enough enamel. They're not sensetive, and naturally very white and look good ( if I stop drinking green smoothies, that is )

calcium is deposited in the teeth mainly by means of the saliva but it could also be needed under the gum area (blood, etc). The saliva quality is important. Avoid dry teeth (bad). Anything that interferes with the saliva may prevent teeth formation. For example, applying coats of x substance could interfere with the saliva job. Avoid acid fruits or coconut oil. People in society use Fluoride, therefore they have a teeth advantage. If you don't use Fluoride them you may not get the same results.

Maybe something I said ring the bell.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2013 04:30PM by Panchito.

I am wondering if you clean your teeth TOO much. Also, have you tried oil pulling? That is supposed to whiten your teeth naturally over time. A small amount of raw coconut oil or sesame oil first thing in the morning (empty stomach) swished for about 20 minutes and spit out (NO swallowing!).

yes yes, sounds like a combination of over cleaning and harsh chemicals as in pure baking soda. Too harsh of a pH in your mouth will mess up the bacteria living on the surface of the teeth. So first step is to stop worrying as this often makes us do TOO much. Keep in mind, none of the rest of us, who have been drinking smoothies gets any teeth stain. Therefore you must realize its not the green smoothie's fault, per se. Sounds like it is either the porosity of the teeth, overall calcium health, and any other number of things, but mainly in the health and bacteria and absorbtion. It may have to do with a long term calcium deficiency making your teeth absorb more color than they should. it is always good to at least rinse the mouth with water after fruit and smoothies. pH is EVERYTHING for teeth health. if we eat an orange for instance, and don't rinse, we are creating a bad environment for the bacteria that PROTECT our teeth. but if we were to chew on a celery stick, we are actually promoting a healthy pH for the tooth enamel bacteria. the life on our teeth has recently been found to be LOADS more important for tooth decay prevention than cleaning. so focus on diet. If you haven't gone 100% raw, low fat yet, then I highly recommend it. this, in my opinion, is the only way to fire up the body's ultimate healing system. Many people look to raw for answers, but many of the answers can only be found by truly tuning in the foods to do what you are looking for. Detox detox detox, then see what is up with your body. IMO everybody should go super low fat, raw vegan for 1 year minimum. ZERO cooked food......this is where the crazy fast healing occurs.

Thanks everyone for your input! Really appreciate it.
panchito - hmmm, interesting point about saliva and dry teeth. At night I often breath with my mouth, therefore my teeth could be dry for 8 hours each night...

banana who - Thanks for reminding me about the oil pulling! I used to do it when I just started on raw, exactly like you described - in the morning on empty stomach. I will add this to my morning routine again.
As to overcleaning. I used to not clean that much, just your regular flossing and brushing with regular brush twice a day, and got my teeth into horrible state with the smoothies. As I said, it took my dentist 1 hour to clean my teeth, it was horrible. So after that cleaning experience I got waterpik flosser and sonic toothbrush hoping to prevent staining. I clean right after drinking the smoothie,yet miraculously stains still develop.

rawlion - I'm mostly raw, 95%. I do lightly steam mushrooms and asparagus sometimes ( like for 2 min), and cook quinoa occasionally. That's it. Everything else is raw and organic. Fat consumption is about 20% I'd say. If I do less, I become too skinny, which I don't like. I've been eating like that for the past 2 years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2013 06:26PM by littlemermaid.