🦷 Your teeth aren’t yellow—they’re stained (and my must-haves for fixing it)

Most people reach for whitening strips the minute their teeth start looking yellow.

But here’s the mistake I see all the time—whitening doesn’t work on stains.

And when you try to bleach away buildup, you end up with more sensitivity… and no real change.

In today’s edition of “Mark’s Must-Haves” we’ll talk about what to do instead…

Step One: Know the Real Cause

Ask yourself:

• Do you drink coffee, tea, or wine every day?
• Has it been over 6 months since your last cleaning?
• Do your teeth look darker near the gumline?

If yes, you don’t need whitening. You need stain removal—and it’s 100% reversible at home.

Step Two: What’s Causing the Stains?

• Coffee, black tea, red wine
• Soy sauce, tomato sauce, berries
• Iron supplements
• Chlorhexidine mouthwash
• Smoking or vaping
• Mouth breathing and dry mouth
• Skipped flossing or poor brushing technique

What I Use to Prevent Stains Daily

✅ Magnesium + K2 Supplements
Magnesium supports healthy salivary glands and mineral flow—two things most people don’t realize impact stain buildup. Better saliva flow = fewer stains, stronger teeth.
➤ HERE is the magensium I take daily—it’s helped thousands of my readers, too

✅ Nano-Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste
Smooths and rebuilds enamel so stains don’t stick.
➤ Fygg toothpaste I created this toothpaste after so many of you asked me to make the DIY toothpaste and because I didn’t find any other brands that used the right hydroxyapeite, were free of essential oils, and were fully transparent about their ingredients

✅ Electric Toothbrush
➤ This one combined with these heads are my recommended combo specifically for stains

✅ Tongue Scraper
Biofilm on your tongue holds pigment and odor. Remove it daily.
➤ I made this one, but any stainless steel scraper works

✅ Xylitol Gum
Stimulates saliva and balances oral pH—two critical defenses against staining. Plus, xylitol feeds your good bacteria, not the bad.
➤ I’m liking the brands “Happy PPL” and “PUR”

✅ This rechargeable tooth polisher gently buffs away surface stains. You can use it once or twice between cleanings. To see this polisher in action, watch this Instagram video that my daughter and I made to demonstrate—you’ll see exactly why I recommend this.

What NOT to Do
🚫 Straws won’t save you.
Liquid still hits your teeth. This is one of the most common myths I hear.
🚫 Charcoal toothpaste damages enamel.
You’ll wear it down and expose more yellow dentin.
🚫 Lemon, strawberry, or vinegar hacks? Never.
Acidic erosion = permanently thinner, yellower enamel.
🚫 Whitening without cleaning first = wasted effort.
You can’t bleach through buildup!

You don’t have to give up coffee—but you do need to rinse with water right after drinking. I keep mineral water next to my cappuccino. Milk proteins in drinks like lattes and cappuccinos make staining worse because they help pigments stick to your teeth. Small habits like rinsing, swishing, or chewing xylitol gum right after can make a big difference.

The Oral Microbiome: A Hidden Key to Whiter Teeth
Bacteria balance affects everything:

• More plaque = more stain retention
• Less saliva = less rinsing and mineral support

What to do:

• Skip antiseptic mouthwashes (Listerine, peroxide)
• Use prebiotics like this one

When You Might Actually Need Whitening

• Teeth that have always been yellow or gray
• Fluorosis spots
• Tetracycline staining

But even then: build enamel first, then whiten. Did you miss last week’s email on that? Search your email for last Friday to read my tips!

I’ve had patients come in panicked after whitening made their teeth more yellow—because they skipped this first step.

Don’t make that mistake.

Remove stains first, strengthen daily, and whiten only if needed.

If you’re ready to actually see a difference—
Try Fygg toothpaste + this tooth polisher this week. And start rinsing/chewing xylitol gum after staining drinks and taking this magnesium to help prevent stains from sticking!

Tag @askthedentist with your results. I want to see them.

See you next week,
– Mark

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P.S. If you have any more questions about staining or whitening, let me know—hit reply! I read every message.