That cup of coffee you’re drinking every morning is so delicious, isn’t it?! But it’s also the reason behind a very important question – how to get rid of coffee stains on teeth?
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world! People drink over 400 billion cups of coffee yearly. This equals approximately 352.7 million pounds (160 million kilograms) of coffee!
But is it totally safe to drink it? Is coffee bad for your teeth? Does coffee make your teeth yellow? And lastly, why does coffee stain your teeth? Let’s find out!
Why Does Coffee Stain Our Teeth?
Your teeth have a thin layer of enamel as covering. This is the hardest substance in the human body and features pores. Coffee contains a substance called tannin. It is brownish or yellowish, which is why coffee is dark-colored and bitter. Tannin is responsible for coffee stains on teeth. It gets into the enamel pores, reaches your teeth, and leaves stains on them.
Here’s how to get rid of coffee stains on teeth!
How to Get Rid of Coffee Stains on Teeth?
If you’ve already noticed that coffee stained your teeth, you’re probably trying to get rid of these stains. There’s no need to worry, as there are so many state-of-the-art technologies and ways to whiten your teeth! Even if you don’t want to get professional whitening, you can still rely on proper oral hygiene, as the market is now full of various whitening toothpaste.
Oral Hygiene
Brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss daily, and you’ll definitely see a result within a few months. Use whitening toothpaste and brush your teeth several times a month with baking soda, which is of great help to get rid of the plaque accumulation on your teeth.
Consider buying some whitening strips or gel trays. These help people get rid of tooth stains.
Switch to an Electric Toothbrush
If you have the possibility, you can switch to an electric toothbrush. It will help clean your teeth more thoroughly and remove the tannins from places manual toothbrushes can’t reach. This is one of the best answers to the how to remove coffee stains from teeth question.
Whitening Prescribed by a Dentist
Your dentist can prescribe some substances that you won’t find at the supermarket or a pharmacy. However, your doctor may not always find this a viable solution for you.
Professional Whitening
If you’re looking for an effective, immediate solution, you should consider making an appointment with your dentist for a professional whitening treatment. It consists of applying a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide to your teeth. It is left for about an hour on your teeth, after which you have to rinse it. Depending on how stained your teeth are, the dentist may apply the solution twice.
However, only people with healthy gums and teeth should try this procedure to avoid any side effects. Moreover, this procedure can cause temporary teeth sensitivity. On the other hand, you’ll see the results immediately and will be able to start from scratch in preventing coffee stains on your teeth.
How to Prevent Coffee Stains on Teeth?
Even though coffee stains your teeth, there’s no need for you to give up on drinking coffee altogether. You’re probably wondering how to prevent coffee stains on teeth, right?
Reduce The Amount Of Coffee
Depending on how much coffee you usually drink, try to reduce the number of cups per day. Coffee alternatives include green tea, for example, as it always contains caffeine that can boost your energy.
Use A Straw
Drinking coffee through a straw is extremely helpful, as the tannins do not reach the enamel on your teeth. Besides not drinking coffee at all, this is probably the best way to prevent teeth staining from coffee.
Avoid Creamers And Sugar
Creamers and sugars cause tooth decay when used in coffee. These aren’t too good for your dental health as standalone, so if you combine them with coffee, the effect is much stronger.
Switch to a Different Coffee
Milk, on the other hand, can be pretty useful when it comes to how to avoid coffee stains on teeth. You can switch from espresso or americano to espresso macchiato or a cappuccino or latte. Moreover, you can opt for a different coffee type, choosing one that has less caffeine— the more caffeine in a cup, the more stains on one’s teeth.
Eat While Drinking Your Coffee
Eating produces saliva, and saliva clears the tannins from your teeth and mouth. Even better, you can pick some snacks that have natural properties to clean your teeth. These are pears, apples, strawberries, lemons, cucumbers, or celery.
Moreover, consider drinking water in between sips of coffee. It will help remove the tannins from your teeth.
Use Chewing Gum
Chewing gums produces saliva, which, in turn, cleans your mouth from acids and plaque. We recommend opting for sugar-free gum to avoid any further damage. Chewing gum for 20 minutes after drinking coffee is enough to help prevent coffee stains.
Brush Your Teeth
Always ensure to brush your teeth approximately 30 minutes after drinking coffee. Why 30 minutes? Well, coffee is an acid drink. Brushing your teeth immediately after drinking or even eating acid liquid or food will only make things worse. This weakens the enamel and causes further stains.
Instead, you can wait 30 minutes, rinse your mouth with water, and only then brush your teeth.
Floss Your Teeth
Flossing your teeth at least once a day will definitely help prevent coffee-stained teeth. Flossing will remove the tannins left in between the teeth that your brush can’t reach.
Don’t Skip Dental Appointments
Regular check-ups with your dentist are a must if you’re a coffee lover. Depending on your dental health, your doctor can help you with suggestions on how to drink coffee without staining teeth.
Does Coffee Affect Your Oral Health in Other Ways?
Yes, besides coffee teeth stains, the drink can cause other damage to your oral health. Because coffee is an acid drink, it can wear down the enamel on the teeth. In time, this can thin your teeth and make them sensitive. Moreover, coffee is associated with bad breath.
Nevertheless, there are many other food and drinks higher in acidity compared to your favorite cup of java, so you can safely drink up to 2 cups a day without severely damaging your teeth.
Some other foods and beverages that may leave stains on your teeth are red wine, coca-cola, sports drinks, black tea, and tomato sauces.
Parting Thoughts
Coffee does stain your teeth, but there’s no need to give up on drinking it! There are numerous ways to prevent and get rid of coffee stains. Teeth color can be fully or partially restored.
You can either try some methods at home, such as including in your diet fruits and vegetables that clean your teeth and brushing them for around 30 minutes after drinking coffee. You may also want to consider reducing the amount of coffee consumed daily or, at least, go for a cappuccino, latte, or a less-caffeinated brand.
If you’ve already noticed stains on your teeth, you can try using whitening toothpaste and strips, switch to an electric toothbrush, or opt for professional whitening.
In any case, there’s no need to worry! There are many innovative products nowadays that can really help you with this! How to prevent teeth staining from coffee is now a question of the past!