Tips to prevent coffee damage to our smile? - Tooronga Family Dentistry in Glen Iris

We live in the world’s coffee capital, making a cup of coffee or two throughout the day difficult to resist. But what we don’t know is that coffee can be especially tough on our teeth, because tannic acid etches into the pits and grooves of tooth enamel, staining our pearly whites as many of my patients have noticed. Other foods and drinks such as wine, chocolate-flavored beverages, and soft drinks can cause tooth enamel discolorations too. The extreme temperature changes in our mouth, that occur when we have the hot coffee, cause teeth to expand and contract allowing stains to penetrate deeper into the micro-cracks of our enamel, making their removal more difficult.

Beyond the staining effects of coffee, it can increase the risk for a dry mouth, which can potentially lead to bad breath and even tooth decay. The reason for these adverse effect is the diuretic property of caffeine, which causes the body to lose fluids and reduces the production of saliva.

Here are some tips to help us continue enjoying our daily coffee pleasure:

Drink more water during the day to offset the coffee effect. Try to add 2 glasses of water for every cup of coffee. If we have the water straight after the cup of coffee, it can neutralize and rinse away the tannic acid left behind, which can stain our teeth.
Switch to decaffeinated coffee. Each cup of coffee has an average of 110 milligrams of caffeine, while decaffeinated has only two to 12 milligrams of caffeine. This will substantially reduce the staining effects.
Chew gum after we drink coffee. Chewing gum will help increase our saliva production and prevent a dry mouth.
Drink with a straw. If we have our staining beverages with a straw the tannins don’t make contact with our front upper and lower teeth, and the staining effect is reduced.

We can help you reverse the effects of coffee with our at home and in office whitening options. Please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Kaufman or to call today Tooronga Family Dentistry, phone number 98227006, to learn more about whitening options available at Tooronga Family Dentistry .