Parties are a wonderful time to enjoy family and friends, while also splurging on sweet snacks and decadent treats. While everyone is passing around the sugar-filled desserts, consider keeping these foods and drinks at bay if you want to keep your teeth looking their brightest.

• Wine: It seems that any party is a great excuse to stock up on hostess gifts, which often means purchasing wine. Plus, if you have a party of your own it’s almost guaranteed that the wine will be a hit; however, even if you opt to buy wine for your party we recommend steering clear of it yourself. While red wine can leave more obvious stains, white wine isn’t any better. Both are highly acidic, and acid attacks tooth enamel, weakening and damaging teeth.
• Punches: Whether it’s an office party or just a neighborhood event, you’ll most likely find some sugary mixed drinks at any festive social occasion; however, before you scoop out a generous helping, find out what’s in it first. Most fruit juices, particularly dark ones like cranberry, are no better than wine. The stains and effects it can have on enamel should have you passing on the punch.
• Fruit pies: From large blueberry pies to carefully crafted hand pies, these delectable little treats might seem like the perfect sweet snack. Despite this, fruit can cause some serious discolorations. Just as we mentioned above with fruit punch, most dark berries are going to dull white smiles and attack enamel.
• Artificially colored candy: It just wouldn’t be a party without colorfully bedazzled candies and nuts like M&Ms. However, unless these foods are these fun colors naturally, you may want to stay away. Artificial coloring can leave behind some unsightly stains that even brushing can find challenging to remove.

It might be hard to stay away from some of these fun treats. If you can’t help yourself, then also try to drink water with it to minimize its affects. Also, be sure to really focus on your dental hygiene routine around major occasions to protect your teeth.

While brushing and flossing each day is a vital part of a healthy smile, there are certainly some stains that brushing just won’t be able to tackle. If you are interested in getting a whiter smile, call your Vero Beach dentist today to see if teeth whitening is right for you. We could get your smile up to 10 shades whiter in under an hour!