You can get a brighter, whiter smile by simply nibbling broccoli, spinach or other green veggies, especially before consuming tooth-staining foods and beverages—such as soy sauce, tomato sauce, curry, coffee, black tea and red wine, says dentist Elisa Mello, D.D.S., at NYC Smile Design in New York. How they work? Green vegetables contain malic acid, a natural astringent that helps scrub away stubborn stains as you chew and coats the porous surface of teeth, which prevents pigments from other foods from embedding in them, she explains.
[photo: D. Sharon Pruitt]
