02 Apr Coffee: What Does It Do to Your Teeth and How Can You Stop It?
Seemingly second only to air, coffee is the fuel that keeps the machinery of day to day life running. Who would consider holding a business meeting without it? It’s a bit embarrassing to admit how dependent we are. Yet statistics report that “7 in 10 Americans drink coffee every week; 62% drink coffee every day. The average American coffee drinker drinks just over 3 cups per day.” What does that do to your teeth? We’ll find out. Today we’ll examine three of coffee’s most potent effects on your dental health and how you can work to overcome them.
Effect #1: Staining
Coffee is famous for turning the brightest of smiles to a dull yellow-brown. It’s why celebrities carefully sip their coffees through straws—they have to protect their cover-page smiles! To understand how coffee stains your teeth, we need to look at what causes staining in the first place.
Discolored teeth are a result of three main forces: chromogens, tannins, and acids.
Chromogens are heavily-pigmented compounds that stick to enamel. They are the reason that red wine, for example, is so effective at reversing that at-home whitening kit you tried.
Tannins are a compound found in coffee and tea. They partner with chromogens to seal them even more tightly to your teeth.
Acids go about their tooth-staining work by eating away at the enamel itself. What results is a rough, brittle patch that has no power to withstand the strong, staining substances that come its way. As you can see, acids create fertile ground for chromogens and tannins to do their work. Together, these three create a powerful trio that can damage even the brightest of smiles.
Therein lies the strength of coffee to stain your teeth: not only is it highly acidic, but it’s also rich in chromogens and tannins. Altogether, coffee is the perfect staining agent.
Effect #2: Halitosis
More commonly known as bad breath—or in this case, coffee breath—halitosis is perhaps the most well-known and disliked effect of your morning cup of coffee. Who hasn’t suffered through a long morning of coffee breath at work when you forgot your pack of gum at home? The reason why coffee causes such an unpleasant odor is because of its unfortunate tendency to stick to your tongue. Believe it or not, the more add-ins you mix into your coffee, the worse off you’ll be. You may think that you’re diluting the effect of black coffee by adding milk, sugar, and creamers, but research indicates that you are simply giving the bacteria more to feed on, worsening your breath in the end.
Effect #3: Enamel Erosion
Your enamel is the hard outer shell of your teeth. As the Cleveland Clinic explains, the enamel “shields your tooth crown (the part you can see above your gums) from cavities and damage.” It is an essential part of dental health. Without it, the Clinic explains that your dentin and tooth pulp would be exposed to decay, infection, and sensitivity. Unfortunately, coffee’s high acidity does just that—it wears away the enamel, causing it to break down over time. What’s more, whereas a broken bone will be naturally healed by the body, enamel contains no living cells that will go to work patching up the damage.
Once the damage is done, it’s done for good.
Combatting Coffee’s Corrosive Effects
So what can be done to avoid this staining, bad breath, and worn-out enamel? If you fall in the statistics we discussed earlier and coffee is something you rely on to get you through the day, consider these practices to combat the harmful effects.
Pair your coffee with your meals.
If you pair your coffee with your breakfast or a snack, the saliva in your mouth will be activated. Saliva acts as a natural mouthwash. By rinsing away some of the tannins, it reduces the staining power of coffee.
Brush your teeth 30 minutes after drinking coffee.
You may have vague memories of a dentist telling you to brush your teeth after eating or drinking. While this is a good instinct, coffee contains acid, and it’s important to wait 30 minutes to brush your teeth after eating or drinking anything acidic! Brushing your teeth is a great way to remove the stains and combat halitosis, but if you don’t wait, you will only damage the enamel further due to the abrasive acids.
Consider professional whitening.
If you find that your teeth are still yellow, despite implementing good dental habits, you may want to consider professional whitening. In-office whitening is available and is one of the most effective solutions to finally getting rid of that yellow-brown stain. We would be happy to arrange it with you.
Wrapping it up
It’s important to understand the effects a drink we consume so regularly can have on our dental health. Knowing can prepare us to respond effectively and have a photo-ready smile regardless! Contact our office today to set up your next appointment. We would love to see you.
About Our Team
Our team at Washington Family Dental has over 30 years of experience in the field of dentistry and a reputation for excellent patient care.
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