How to Avoid Stained Teeth When You Enjoy Red Wine

You don't have to wind up with stained teeth if you toast the holidays with red wine, an expert says.

"The strength of your enamel and how prone you are to plaque buildup is key to how much your teeth might stain," said Dr. Uchenna Akosa, head of Rutgers Health University Dental Associates, the faculty practice of Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in New Brunswick, N.J.

Akosa called red wine a "triple threat" to a sparkling smile.

"When you drink red wine, you're encountering a triple threat to your teeth's whiteness: anthocyanins, which are the pigments in grapes that give red wine its rich color; tannins, which help bind the pigment to your teeth; and the acidity found in wine, which etches your enamel, making it more porous and it easier for the stain to stick," she said in a Rutgers news release.