5 Trendy Food & Drinks You Might Not Know Are Staining Your Teeth And How To Fix It

By Karmen on 14 May 2026

Digital Editor

Everyone wants to look like the best version of themselves. It’s why we invest in skincare for a healthy complexion, makeup to enhance our features and showcase our personality, and haircare to get perfect locks. But what can really transform your look and self-esteem is a set of bright white teeth.

Having a bright smile can not only make you look younger and fresher, but also boost your confidence and make you smile more freely which can improve your mood!

Alas, our teeth can get discoloured through lifestyle habits and diet. Besides the usual suspects, coffee, red wine, sodas and curry, there are many other drinks and food that you might not know are slowly but surely making your teeth discoloured and dulling your smile.

Find out the sneaky teeth-staining culprits and ways to get whiter teeth:

Teeth-Staining Food & Drinks

#1 Acai

Acai bowls are made of dark berries that contain strong natural pigments called anthocyanins that can bond to tooth enamel and stain it.

#2 Milk Tea

Even when mixed with milk, the high tannin concentration in black tea can cause teeth yellowing. And if you’re adding sugar and toppings like tapioca pearls, that can contribute to discolouration too.

#3 Kombucha

This fermented tea is often made with black tea, so it also has tannins that stain the teeth.

#4 Matcha

Your daily matcha could be contributing to staining, as it contains tannins and natural pigments that can adhere to tooth enamel over time.

#5 Tomato-based Pasta

We all love our spaghetti al pomodoro and penne all'arrabbiata, but these tomato-based pasta dishes can be a cause of teeth stains due to its high acidity which lets the red colour latch onto tooth enamel.

How To Get Whiter Teeth

Don’t want to give up these delicious foods and drinks? That’s understandable. But fret not, as there are several ways to get a brighter, whiter smile from lifestyle habits to professional treatments.

Instead of giving up teeth-staining teeth, the next best alternative is to use a straw when drinking it so the beverage comes into minimal contact with your teeth. Rinsing your mouth after eating will also help minimise teeth yellowing.

Over-the-counter whiteners can also help, but if you’re overwhelmed by the options or find that they don’t make enough of a difference, professional teeth whitening will get you that visible improvement you’re looking for.

Dental Designs Clinic offers four professional teeth whitening options, each designed to suit different lifestyles, sensitivities, and whitening goals. They create a visible, natural-looking result without damaging the tooth enamel.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

#1 WHITEN+ Copper

This beginner-level solution includes full dental scaling and polishing, airflow prophyjet stain removal and 15-minute application of WHITEN+ gel. A special blue light helps activate the whitening agent.

If you have a hectic schedule with little time for beauty treatments, this is a fast and low-effort option that can be scheduled with your regular routine cleaning appointment.

#2 WHITEN+ Silver

This includes all the aforementioned steps plus an additional Take-Home Whitening Kit consisting of upper and lower soft trays and gels.

Made in the clinic’s in-house lab, the customised whitening trays have a snug, accurate fit so it retains the whitening gel more effectively without leaking and creates more even whitening results. Apply it daily over two weeks to enhance and maintain the whitening effect.

Photo from Dental Designs Clinic

#3 WHITEN+ Gold

If you have sensitive teeth but want a strong whitening effect, this is the one to go for. It includes not one but two to three cycles of WHITEN+ High Strength gel application. With extra high concentration of whitening ingredients, this gel deeply penetrates and removes stains over multiple cycles.

At the same time, a protective Gingival barrier will be applied on the gums and tooth root surface to prevent sensitivity. After the treatment, a 15-minute Topical Fluoride Gel will be applied for further tooth sensitivity relief.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore

#4 WHITEN+ Diamond

Say you have a big occasion coming up where you want to look your absolute best and take plenty of photos, like a wedding, graduation, or even a holiday. What you’re looking for is high-impact, premium results with the Diamond treatment.

This comprehensive approach by combining high-strength in-clinic whitening cycles with a take-home whitening kit. This dual-phase treatment is designed to achieve a higher level of brightness with enhanced stain control so you’ll get a dramatically brighter smile that also stays bright with fewer repeat clinic visits.

Photo from GirlStyle Singapore