The trouble with loving wine, or coffee for that matter, is that it eventually begins to show. I am not talking about those viral videos of me tabletop-dancing after a tasting (that never happened, really) but the obvious stains that wine and coffee lovers exhibit after some time. And one may think that they can easily be brushed away, but it isn’t that simple.
Recently I paid a visit to a dental spa, and the only reason I was lured into getting into the dentist’s chair is because it came with a free mani-pedi. Yes, I would think it crazy to see ‘dental’ and ‘spa’ being used in the same sentence, but my dental clinic disagrees and has launched these luxurious spaces which don’t smell or look like dental clinics, but actually are, and quite an advanced version of them at that.
So, there I was, getting my stained teeth examined, and I suddenly realised that a dentist’s chair is the only place where it’s good to discuss whiteness, and no matter how much white you want your teeth to be, nobody will judge you for it. All those fairness cream manufacturers should basically just rebrand themselves as toothpaste.
But if you drink wine, here is the real low-down. Follow these basic steps and you will never have to visit a dentist too soon.
*Brush regularly; twice a day is good. Plaque build-up begins crusting after 48 hours, so make sure you brush your teeth both sides of your bed time.
*Never brush teeth after a tasting; wine is acidic, and brushing when you have teeth freshly stained from a red wine overdose may seem to clean them up, but it also removes the enamel, thus making teeth sensitive. Instead, gently rinse with water. I try restoring the pH balance by having some milk and bread. I also have beer after a tasting, but that is more so to restore sanity after having been around wine snobs all day.
*Wine tasters often go for tastings without brushing in the morning, believing that the overnight plaque protects teeth against the onslaught. Not true, apparently. So brush, and at least smell like a decent human being, if, like most wine writers, you can’t dress like one.
*Another biggie – bleaching. While it’s good for every other Joe, wine lovers beware. It whitens teeth, but then also makes them a bit porous, thereby leaving them susceptible to quicker and more permanent staining next time.
*Veneers are the way to go if you want to continue tasting wine like an in-demand critic, and yet flash pearly-whites with every smile. These are like a porcelain front to your teeth, stuck on; expensive investment, but oh, what a radiant Hollywood smile!
*Floss is good, toothpicks are bad, water floss is fine too. You can use either, even after a tasting.
Follow these basic steps and you can keep tasting for a long time with perfectly healthy white teeth.
(The author is a sommelier, wine, travel and food writer)
