There’s nothing that goes better with this cold weather than a hot cup of coffee. However, you might begin to notice that your favorite beverage can also be one of the leading causes of stains on your teeth.
Why is this the case? Your dental enamel is the hardest substance in your body, but it isn’t as flat and smooth as you might think. Actually, there are many microscopic indentations and ridges all along your teeth. This allows them to easily trap food and drink particles on the surface, and the pigments from dark-colored drinks like coffee just happen to be the most noticeable. Plus, with the considerable amounts of acid in coffee, you can also expect it to leave a yellow residue on the teeth.
While avoiding coffee completely is the best way to avoid these unfortunate coffee stains, we understand that can be quite a feat! Therefore, here are some of the leading ways you can fight tough coffee stains and keep your smile sparkling white without having to give up your daily “cup of joe.”
- Brush and floss immediately after you drink. To fight yellow stains, you can simply brush and floss immediately after you drink your coffee. This will remove the drink residue from the surface of your teeth before the staining agents are able to really embed themselves into the cracks and ridges of your dental enamel.
- If you can’t brush, at least rinse. We understand that you’re not able to carry a toothbrush everywhere you go. Try swishing water in your mouth after drinking coffee in order to get some of the residue off of your teeth.
- Drink coffee only on break times. Sometimes it can be tempting to sit and drink your coffee over the course of the day. However, this means your coffee will have longer to set into your teeth before you have a chance to finally brush them. Try drinking your coffee only over your break and then rinse immediately after to avoid this prolonged exposure.
- Drink with a straw. By drinking with a straw, you allow the staining liquids to bypass the surface of your teeth. While some of the drink will still touch your enamel, you will definitely decrease your teeth’s exposure to the dark pigment of your coffee.
- Visit Valley Dental Care for a cleaning or professional whitening treatment. Most importantly, to keep a beautiful white smile, you must also have healthy teeth. Visit our dental offices in Aurora and Oswego for a regular check-up to ensure that the stains on your teeth are not caused by problems such as tooth decay or gingivitis. We will also scrape any residue off of your teeth and perform a deep cleaning to bring your teeth back to health. Upon request, we can also provide a professional whitening treatment which can remove years of stains from the surface of your teeth. The treatment only takes an hour, but is substantially more effective and longer lasting than over-the-counter whitening products.
To take the first step toward a whiter smile, call Valley Dental Care in Aurora and Oswego today to schedule your appointment.