Tips to Save a Tooth That is Knocked Out

Do you have a daily coffee habit where you need it to wake you up every morning? If so, you may have concerns about the damage that coffee is doing to your teeth. Here are some of the potential problems with frequent coffee drinking.

Your Teeth Will Stain

One of the unfortunate side effects of drinking coffee is that it can stain your teeth. This is due to the tannins found in the coffee, which cause the color from the coffee to stick to the surface of your teeth. While you can avoid this by drinking coffee through a straw, many people drink it right from the cup and have the beverage wash over the surface of their teeth. 

Your Enamel Can Erode 

Even though enamel is incredibly strong, the acidic nature of foods and beverages is what contributes to enamel erosion. This is especially true of coffee, which is a very acidic beverage. It can cause you to lose tooth enamel over time, which will expose that layer of dentin underneath your enamel. 

Your Teeth Will Become Sensitive

Exposing that layer of the dentin under your enamel will cause your teeth to become more sensitive as well. You may notice that your teeth hurt when you drink beverages that are very hot or cold, which from that food coming in contact with the dentin. Some people even experience problems with sugary foods causing their teeth to feel sensitive, which is also due to exposed dentin.

Your Teeth Will Get Cavities

It's not the acidity of coffee that will cause cavities, but all of the bacteria that forms in your mouth from drinking it. That's because most people add sugar, sweeteners, and creamers to their coffee to give it additional flavor, which is how that bacteria forms. Drinking black coffee is a good alternative if you need the caffeine and can go without the sugar. 

Your Breath Will Be Bad

Drinking coffee is also going to cause bad breath. While it may seem obvious that your coffee habit leads to bad breath, you may not understand why it is happening. Bad breath is caused by the bacteria in your mouth that produce odor, and there is going to be more bacteria when you drink coffee with sugar in it. That's why drinking black coffee can actually cause you to not have breath that's as bad after drinking coffee, and those sugary drinks from your local coffee shop can make it much worse.

If you are noticing the effects that coffee has on your teeth, reach out to your family dentist for more information.