Turmeric, a bright yellow spice with a warm, earthy taste, has grown in popularity in recent years due to its numerous health advantages. However, one major issue about turmeric is that it might discolor teeth.
While turmeric does leave a transient yellow tinge on the teeth, there are techniques to minimize this impact and enjoy the spice without compromising your brilliant smile.
What is Turmeric?
Turmeric is a flowering plant in the ginger family that is native to South Asia. The subterranean stem, or rhizome, is the component used as a spice. Curcumin, a potent antioxidant with several health benefits, is responsible for turmeric’s brilliant yellow hue. Turmeric is a truly powerhouse spice, with benefits ranging from easing digestion and lowering inflammation to boosting immunity and brain health.
Oral Benefits of Turmeric
Turmeric has various oral health benefits:
Anti-inflammatory properties: Turmeric has anti-inflammatory effects, which can help reduce gum inflammation, which is a major cause of gingivitis and other oral health issues.
Antibacterial properties: Curcumin in turmeric has been demonstrated to suppress the growth of bacteria in the mouth, which can lead to plaque buildup and foul breath.
Wound-healing properties: Turmeric has wound-healing qualities that help aid quicker healing of mouth ulcers and other oral lesions.
Pain relief: Curcumin’s pain-relieving qualities can give relief from toothaches and other types of mouth discomfort.
Does Turmeric Stain Teeth?
Amount of turmeric consumed: The more turmeric you consume, the higher the risk of staining.
Frequency of consumption: Regularly consuming turmeric increases the chances of staining.
Form of turmeric: Fresh turmeric root, ground turmeric powder, and turmeric supplements can all stain teeth with their intense yellow color.
Oral hygiene habits: Brushing and flossing regularly can help remove turmeric particles and prevent staining.
How Does Turmeric Stain Teeth?
Curcumin molecules are tiny and extremely lipophilic, which means they bind to fats and oils. Curcumin molecules attach to the enamel, which has a small lipid content when turmeric comes into contact with teeth.
Because of this binding, the yellow hue of the teeth becomes noticeable. Despite its potential to stain, some people believe turmeric can whiten your teeth when used in specific ways, though this requires careful management to avoid discoloration.
How to Remove Turmeric Teeth Stains
Fortunately, there are various methods for removing turmeric stains from teeth:
Brushing
Brushing your teeth right after ingesting turmeric will help erase surface stains. For better stain removal, use whitening products such as whitening toothpaste.
Flossing
Flossing removes turmeric particles from between your teeth, which helps to avoid deeper coloring.
Oil pulling
Swishing with oil for 15-20 minutes, such as coconut oil or sesame oil, will help remove turmeric stains from the enamel.
Baking Soda
Brushing your teeth with baking soda paste might help erase minor stains.
Professional teeth cleaning
If home cures do not work, schedule an appointment with your dentist for a professional cleaning.
Tips to Prevent Turmeric Teeth Staining
Here are some preventative measures for turmeric tooth stains:
Consume turmeric with meals: Consuming turmeric with meals can help dilute the tint and lessen its impact on teeth.
Drink milk or yogurt after consuming turmeric: After eating turmeric, drink milk or yogurt: the calcium in dairy products can aid bind to curcumin and prevent it from coloring teeth. Additionally, teeth whitening products used regularly can help maintain a bright smile.
Use a straw: Drinking turmeric lattes or other turmeric-infused beverages with a straw can help to reduce contact with your teeth.
Rinse your mouth with water after consuming turmeric: After taking turmeric, rinse your mouth with water to eliminate any residual turmeric particles from your teeth and gums.
Chew sugar-free gum: Chew sugar-free gum after eating or drinking turmeric to encourage saliva production, which naturally cleanses the mouth.
Conclusion
While turmeric can cause temporary stains on the teeth, the health advantages it provides far exceed this slight inconvenience. You may enjoy the advantages of turmeric without compromising your beautiful smile if you follow the guidelines above. Remember to practice proper dental hygiene and speak with your dentist if you are concerned about turmeric coloring your teeth.
Po-Chang Hsu, M.D., received his medical doctorate from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. During his medical school training, Dr. Hsu worked with various patients, including adult and pediatric patients with acute and chronic conditions. Dr. Hsu’s interests include neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics, and sleep medicine.
Before medical school, Dr. Hsu finished a master’s degree at Harvard University and wrote a thesis on neuroimaging in schizophrenia patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospital. Dr. Hsu was also a part of the 2008 NASA Phoenix Lander Mission team, which sent a robotic spacecraft to the North polar region of Mars. Dr. Hsu also had research experience on neuroimaging in neonates at Boston Children’s Hospital, another Harvard Medical School-affiliated Hospital.
Since graduating from medical school, Dr. Hsu has worked as a full-time medical writer and consultant. In addition, he has experience writing and ghostwriting books and articles for physicians and health technology start-up companies. Dr. Hsu believes good communication between healthcare providers and patients creates the best results.
Publications
-Peer Reviewed Journal Article:
Kounaves, S.P., Hecht, M.H., West, S.J., Morookian, J.-M., Young, S.M.M., Quinn, R., Grunthaner, P., Wen, X., Weilert, M., Cable, C.A., Fisher, A., Gospodinova, K., Kapit, J., Stroble, S., Hsu, P.-C., Clark, B.C., Ming, D.W. and Smith, P.H. The MECA wet chemistry laboratory on the 2007 phoenix mars scout Lander. Journal of Geophysical Research. 2009, Mar; 114(E3): 10.1029/2008je003084.
-Poster Presentation:
2011 Harvard Psychiatry Mysell Poster Session; Boston, MA
Hsu, P.C., Rathi, Y., Eckbo, R., Nestor, P., Niznikiewicz, M., Thompson, E., Kubicki, M., Shenton, M.E. (March, 2011). Two-Tensor Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Acoustic Radiations in Schizophrenia
