Has Drinking Coffee Stained Your Teeth?

27 October 2014
Categories: Dentist, Blog

If you're a daily coffee drinker, then you might have noticed your teeth changing color. Coffee can stain your teeth. This is because coffee is acidic. This acidity is harsh and it harms the enamel on teeth. The breakdown of the enamel allows the staining to penetrate and set.

Here are some ideas about how to deal with stained teeth.

Drink Something Else

The best way to avoid getting coffee stains is drink something else. Don't switch to tea, though. Tea is actually worse for your teeth than coffee. It is harsher on your enamel and will cause more staining.

The best thing to drink is water. You can flavor water with lemon or lime if you are not fond of plain water. You can also drink mineral water.

Keep A Bottle of Water Handy

If you have decided that you don't want to give up on your daily cup of coffee, then keep a bottle of water on your desk. You should take a drink of water intermittently while you're drinking coffee. This will help prevent your teeth from getting constant exposure to the harsh acidity of the coffee.

It's not realistic to brush your teeth after each cup of coffee. Some experts go so far to say that you should avoid brushing your teeth immediately after drinking coffee. The theory is that the acid in the coffee will be brushed into your teeth and cause greater harm.

So, by drinking water you are gently washing away some of the acid without having to brush.

Erase The Stains At Home

If you already have yellow, discolored and stained teeth then you can get a whitening product from your local drugstore. There are different types of teeth whitening products. Some are gels that you apply to your teeth using a mouthpiece. Other designs are strips that you place on your teeth. Most of them are designed so that you put them on before you go to bed and remove it in the morning.

There are also toothpastes that will help with whitening. You can use these instead of regular toothpaste.

Get A Professional To Brighten Your Teeth

The most effective way to get bright white teeth is find a cosmetic dentist. They will have access to methods of teeth whitening that are far more advanced than anything you can buy at the local store. Some methods include using a bright light to work with bleaching creams.

About Me

Having a child on the autism spectrum poses all kinds of unique challenges that can sometimes be very difficult. The sensory issues that often accompany spectrum disorders can mean that even everyday things like taking vitamins may be a serious struggle. For my son, it's both texture and taste that pose challenges for him, which made finding a vitamin supplement very difficult. After experimenting with many different brands, styles, and flavors, I have found what does and doesn't work for various sensory issues that he has. I've created this site to share our experiences in the hopes that it might help other parents with kids on the spectrum to find a vitamin their child will take.