All of us have been born with naturally dazzling teeth; our teeth are meant to be as white as snow thus making our smiles even beautiful. But unfortunately due to many contributing factors, we fail to maintain the whiteness of our teeth and our snow white smile tends to fade as well. Aggravating the conditions further, our dietary habits and the food and other things that we eat on a regular basis also hampers the color of teeth greatly.

Generally, our teeth comprises of the enamel layer which is further covered by a clear and colorless protein layer called the pellicle. The food that we eat often sticks to this particular protein pellicle, thus staining our white teeth and our smiles as well.

Some of the potentially detrimental foods for our teeth are:

Acidic Foods: Foods having acidic properties, such as citrus fruits can contribute significantly to the discoloration of our tooth enamel in the long run. Such foods must be avoided before going to bed at night. If you take such foods, by any chance, you must brush and rinse your teeth very well.

Extremely Cold/Hot Liquids or fluids: When you consume liquids which are either too hot or too cold, your teeth's temperature changes dramatically. This change in temperature causes the expansion and contraction of your teeth thus allowing the penetration of stains.

Dark Beverages: Remember, any substance, be it liquid or solid, that can stain your white T-shirt can as well satin your teeth; this is the rule that implies here. So dark beverages, such as , tea, coffee, cola, soy sauce, wine (red wine) must be strictly avoided as these can discolor your teeth to a great extent. You need not give up these beverages totally; a bit of consciousness from your end to wash off your mouth after taking such beverages can prevent the after effects.

Chocolates and Sweets: Sweet foods and similar other food groups can be harmful for your teeth. Chocolates are usually sticky and can be very harmful for your teeth. If not cleaned and rinsed after eating, bacteria would develop inside the mouth and would not only discolor your teeth but would also cause damage to your teeth enamel.

Cigarette Smoking: Cigarettes contain nicotine and when this comes into contact with our teeth stains tend to manifest. These stains gradually turn black. You should try to actually give up this habit altogether as it can be a great threat to your life as well.

As there are damaging foods, there are certain teeth whitening foods as well. You can try these foods to lighten the spots and prevent them:

Strawberries: You can swear by strawberries when it concerns your teeth; these are the best natural teeth whiteners. Rub mashes strawberries on the teeth and you'll notice the shine. You can also make a paste out of baking soda and crushed strawberries and use it for brushing your teeth twice every week. But you must leave the paste in your teeth for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Also make sure that you rinse your mouth thoroughly as strawberries contain sugar and have acidic properties as well that can cause tooth decay.

Lemon Juice: We know that lemon juice is a good bleaching agent for hair, but do you know that it can whiten your teeth also? Well, it can. But be careful while using lemon juice as it has acidic properties and might as well cause damage to the enamel of your teeth. A bit of lemon juice can be used with baking soda or salt for teeth whitening.

Orange Peel: The inside part of orange peel is a great teeth whitener. You can also use dried form of orange peel in combination with ground bay leaves to form a paste and this can be used for brushing.

Vegetables and Crunchy fruits: Carrots, apples, pears, cauliflower, celery and several crunchy fruits as well as veggies can help you in getting rid of teeth stains. When all these natural food fibers come in contact with the saliva in your mouth, it helps in washing away the food particles and bacteria that causes stains.