Across the world, billions of people can’t help but start their day with a cup of coffee. It’s one of the most consumed beverages there is, and it can sometimes be difficult to imagine getting through life without it.
However, as you may know, too much coffee isn’t the best thing for your teeth. If you want to know more about how it can affect your smile, and what you can do to mitigate that, here’s a guide that can give you a little bit more information.
Coffee and Stained Teeth
If you’re a fan of coffee, you’ve probably experienced firsthand the effects that it can have on the color of your teeth. Coffee is full of darker pigments that can settle into your enamel, depositing stains there that are hard to remove. It also doesn’t help that coffee is fairly acidic, which can erode the top layer of enamel slightly and allow those pigments to penetrate more deeply.
Other Consequences of Too Much Coffee
However, the negative effects of coffee aren’t just aesthetic. There are quite a few ways that it can affect your oral health in general.
For one, as was mentioned before, coffee happens to be fairly acidic. If you drink too much of it, you could potentially erode the top layer of your enamel, making your teeth more sensitive to extreme temperatures. Ironically, this could make drinking coffee uncomfortable for you.
There are also the threats that come with adding a lot of milk and sugar to your coffee; this increases your chances of gum disease and tooth decay.
Mitigating Risks of Drinking Coffee
If you want to mitigate some of the negative effects of drinking coffee but can’t stand to cut it out completely, there are some things you can do.
First, some people claim that adding milk and sugar to coffee can stop it from staining your teeth. This isn’t true—sweetened coffee contains all the same pigments, but will be much more likely to contribute to tooth decay.
If you want to stop stains, you can always try drinking your coffee with a straw to minimize its contact with your teeth. Moreover, it wouldn’t hurt to brush after your morning coffee to give it less time to set into your smile. So long as you’re careful, you should still be able to enjoy a nice cup of coffee each morning without hurting your smile.
About Our Practice
At Taylor Choice Dental, we believe that every visit to your dentist’s office should be exceptional. The quality of dental technology has advanced incredibly in the past few years, and we’re proud to still be at the forefront of it after all this time. We also offer a wide variety of financing options, meaning that we can put that high-level of dental care in the hands of as many people as possible.
If you have any questions about how coffee can affect your oral health, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (737) 758-3676.