How can you continue to enjoy your morning coffee while taking care to prevent coffee stain on your teeth?
Are you one of the millions of people out there who start their day off with a nice, stimulating cup of coffee or three? The health benefits of drinking coffee are much touted – protection against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, and heart disease are some of the most discussed benefits. But every coffee drinker knows one of the main detriments all too well – it stains your teeth! How and why does it do it, and what could be done to prevent coffee stain on your teeth?
How does Coffee Stain Teeth?
Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the body and rolling your tongue on the surface of your teeth may lead you to believe that it is flat and smooth. In actuality, tooth enamel has microscopic pits and ridges that retain tiny particles of food and drink. The pigments from dark colored drinks like coffee can embed themselves in those microscopic spaces. This can cause permanent, yellowing stains on your teeth if you’re not practicing the proper dental health techniques. And adding more cream to your coffee will not lessen the stain effect on your teeth like you might believe. The pigments and acids in black coffee are not neutralized by adding cream (unless your cream to coffee ratio is sky high!).
Preventing Coffee Stain
The best way to prevent stains from coffee, tea, or other beverages is to give them up altogether. However, this is not an acceptable solution for the vast majority of coffee drinkers who need that pick-me-up in the morning! In lieu of completely abstaining, you can schedule your coffee breaks at specific times rather than sipping throughout the day. This gives the saliva time to wash away some of the acid and microscopic pigments eating away at your tooth enamel. You could also rinse your mouth out with water or brush your teeth immediately after finishing a cup to remove the pigments. Switching to a whitening toothpaste may also help. And, no matter how many cups of coffee you drink a day, visiting your dentist for regular checkups will give you a whiter smile!
You Can Trust Olney Dental for All of Your Oral Care Needs
For all of your oral care questions and concerns, Olney dental has the expertise and professionalism to get them the answers they need. Olney Dental is ready to supply you with expert service in a professional environment. Schedule an appointment online today! For more information on how we can give your family the best dentist experience available, give us a call at (301) 250-1057 or contact us online. For more dental tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Pinterest.