Here's why you should never brush your teeth after drinking wine

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girl drinking wine

Flickr/olliethebastard

She better wait before brushing her teeth.

A glass of wine is said to have a plethora of health benefits - from being good for your heart to boosting your immune system. But one of its (few) downsides is that it can stain our teeth.

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While this may have you rushing to your toothbrush after drinking vino, that could actually make it worse.

BBC News reported that brushing your teeth immediately after drinking wine permanently strips away enamel, which can lead to painful tooth sensitivity and exposure to cavities.

Wine has high levels of acidity, making it the culprit of irrevocable damage to your teeth's protective barrier. White wine can be even more erosive than red varieties: a study published in the Nutrition Research reads, "it was demonstrated that white wines have higher erosive potentials than red wines. Within the limits of this study, it can be predicted that a frequent consumption of white wines might lead to severe dental erosion."

So although red wine has the ability to stain our teeth an unflattering burgundy hue, it does not take away as much calcium from our teeth as white wine.

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To avoid further damage, make sure to give your teeth at least an hour to recover from the wine's pH level before brushing them.

Or, even better, experts say that eating calcium-rich cheese while drinking wine can help neutralize the acid attack the drink causes.

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