With the recent cold mornings, you might find yourself reaching for that reliable cup of coffee to perk you up. But is coffee good or bad for your teeth?
How coffee damages your teeth
Like our skin, our mouths have a delicate pH balance of around 7, but certain foods and drinks can disrupt this. Coffee and even tea are one such offender.
Coffee is classed as acidic, when the pH of your teeth drops, they begin to demineralize, creating the perfect conditions for cavities to develop.
An important thing to remember is that your teeth need a few hours to recover from any acidic attack. So, if you’re consuming an espresso every hour, you could actually be weakening your tooth structure without realizing it.
Coffee can cause bad breath and stains.
Coffee is high in tannins, which sometimes can leave stains on your teeth. The best way to try to prevent this, is to practice good oral hygiene. One way is you can eat raw crunchy fruit and vegetables, such as celery, apples, cauliflower, and visit your dentist for your annual cleanings.
Coffee has a habit to cause your mouth to dry out, which means bacteria will multiply, feeding on any trace of food in your mouth and contribute to increase of plaque. That’s also what leads ‘coffee breath’! To avoid this chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva.
It’s not just the coffee itself that can cause everything listed above. Many people sweeten their beverage to make it more tasteful. They either use sugar, syrups, creamers and ass whipped cream, which also has added sugar. This why coffee can damage your teeth, so try to cut out the sugar where possible.
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