Negative Effects of Being a Coffee Addict – A Dental POV
Coffee is essential to most peoples’ lives. It has become a part of the adult culture that you cannot survive the day without coffee. Coffee is listed to have many positive health effects, like boosting energy and improving physical performance. Dentists love coffee too, do not mistake that, but they have some concerns to tell their patients about the hot beverage’s effects on your teeth.
Coffee Stains your Teeth
Coffee is known to be one of the most prominent teeth stainers out there, as far as drinks are concerned, at least. Coffee contains dark pigments that stick to the enamel of your teeth, and over time this pigment can cause teeth to turn yellow and darker when you smile. How can you protect yourself from coffee stains? Drinking water directly after your coffee washes away the dark pigments and will protect your teeth from stains.
Weakens Tooth Enamel
Coffee is acidic. When the pH of your teeth drops to around 5.5, your teeth begin to demineralize, creating the perfect conditions for cavities to develop. Coffee is a five on the pH scale, which means the acid lightly wears away at the enamel in your teeth and can aid in tooth decay. A way to prevent this from happening is to avoid your cup of coffee’s contact with your teeth. Drinking through a straw will limit the contact with your teeth, so maybe it’s time to become an iced coffee lover! Additionally, by drinking your coffee quickly instead of sipping for hours, you can avoid prolonged exposure of acid to your teeth.
Caffeine Causes Teeth to Clench
Bruxism is a condition in which you grind or clench your teeth. Bruxism can cause headaches, earaches, sleep disruption, tooth wear, and tooth breakage. The moral of the story is clenching, and grinding your teeth does not end well. Sadly, caffeine is a cause of bruxism, and coffee contains high amounts of caffeine. The solution here is to know your body and understand the intake of caffeine in a day that gives you energy but does not cause you to grind your teeth.
At Cakmes Dental Studios, we do everything we can to give our patients the healthiest and whitest smiles. If having a coffee addiction has hurt your teeth, call and inquire about teeth whitening or teeth cleaning to make sure your teeth are up to par. We hope the information we provide can help your oral health in the future, and if you ever have any questions, please contact us!
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