The Daily Grind: How Coffee Affects Your Mouth

Wednesday - August 10th, 2016

Whether it’s part of your morning ritual or a casual treat, coffee is a notorious teeth-stainer. But did you know it can affect your mouth in other ways, too? Here’s what your cup o’ joe may be up to:

Stains on your teeth.

Staining is the most obvious impact of coffee. Your teeth enamel is very porous, so dark-colored foods and drinks can penetrate it and cause stains. You can help eliminate some surface stains by visiting your dentist for regular cleanings.

Cause of enamel erosion.

Coffee is very acidic, and that can cause erosion of your enamel over time. To help minimize the effect, try to limit direct contact by with a straw and not sloshing it around your mouth. Also, rinse your mouth with water after finishing your coffee. Make sure to wait one hour to brush your teeth after eating or drinking something acidic, because your enamel will be especially vulnerable and you could cause damage.

Leading to bad
breath.

Another side effect of drinking coffee can be bad breath. This happens because the caffeine in coffee can dry out the saliva in your mouth. Without saliva, bacteria can quickly grow in the mouth and cause bad breath. One solution to coffee-breath is chewing sugar-free gum.

Destroying plaque
bacteria.

Here’s a good one! According to a study, coffee high in caffeine may actually help to destroy the bacteria that cause dental plaques. However, this can be cancelled out if you add sugar or creamer. That’s a good reason to take your coffee black next time!

Sources:

Orthodontics may be provided by general dentists.