Most people go to bed, dreaming about waking up to a heavenly elixir: coffee. In one survey 62% of adults (and 37% of teens!) said they consumed coffee daily in 2017. As much as we love coffee in the U.S., the effects of it can be not-so-heavenly. Coffee stains teeth, sometimes permanently. Here’s why, and what to do about it.

Is coffee bad for my teeth?

The short answer to this question is yes, coffee is bad for your teeth.

Cosmetically, coffee consumption over time can cause deep stains to the teeth that are difficult (or impossible) to remove. In terms of oral (and physical) health, it is less about the coffee itself and more about what we add.

People in the U.S. consume nearly 20 teaspoons of sugar a day, more than the recommended upper limit of six teaspoons for women and nine teaspoons for men. With sweetened coffee drinks containing as much as 18 teaspoons of sugar, coffee changes from a simple cosmetic issue to a full-blown health crisis.

Adding sugar to coffee doesn’t just contribute to weight gain and diabetes, though. Teeth suffer from a constant bath of additional sugar. Sugar helps create coffee stains on teeth by damaging enamel and opening teeth up to all kinds of other oral health issues (including cavity and periodontal disease!).

Why does coffee stain teeth?

The enamel on our teeth is the hardest substance in the human body. When we think of our teeth, we imagine smooth and shiny surfaces, but that’s not actually the way teeth are. Our teeth are filled with microscopic ridges and pits. These ridges and pits trap food and drink particles.

When food and drink particles are darker, like coffee is, over time these can create stains in teeth. There are two types of stains on teeth: intrinsic and extrinsic.

  • Intrinsic stains: This type of stain occurs inside the dentin and is a result of certain factors, including genetics, trauma to the tooth, or medication use
  • Extrinsic stains: Generally considered superficial, extrinsic stains affect the outer layer of the tooth only

Coffee stains on teeth are extrinsic in that they generally affect only the outside of the tooth.

How to prevent coffee stains on teeth

The only 100% guaranteed way to prevent coffee stains on teeth is to give it up completely. For most coffee drinkers, this is not even a remote possibility.

Here are seven other ways to prevent coffee stains on teeth.

1. Brush and floss regularly

Good oral hygiene will always win the day. Removing plaque and bacteria is one of the best ways to prevent coffee stains on teeth.

2. If you can’t brush, rinse

If you can’t brush your teeth after a mid-day coffee break, take the time to rinse your teeth with water. This will help remove any coffee lingering on your teeth.

3. Use a straw

Using a straw to consume coffee is SOP (standard operating procedure) for people who have had their teeth whitened, but it’s also good practice even for those who haven’t. The straw directs the coffee away from the front teeth.

It may still stain the back teeth, but those are not as visible.

4. Use milk

This solution may not be perfect, practical, or even particularly effective, but some people swear that milk helps prevent stains.

This has less to do with any properties the milk has and is more about the fact that more milk means less (teeth-staining) coffee.

5. Cut down the sugar

Sugar eats away at the enamel on your teeth, creating deeper coffee-trapping pits and pockets.

Cutting down on sugar in your entire diet is good for not only coffee stains on teeth but also for your health.

6. Drink faster

The less time your teeth are exposed to coffee the better chance they will remain (relatively) stain free.

Drink your morning joe in five minutes or less instead of lingering over it for hours.

7. Chew sugar-free gum

The American Dental Association recommends chewing sugar-free gum after eating to increase saliva production to wash away acids and plaque.

This same practice can work to freshen breath and keep teeth sparkly after coffee.

How to get rid of coffee stains on teeth

If you find your pearly whites are not so pearly anymore, there are steps you can take, both at home and at the dentist.

At home

For coffee stains on teeth that are relatively minor and light, brushing regularly with a whitening toothpaste might be treatment enough. This toothpaste is specially formulated and may also have a mild abrasive to smooth pits and ridges (eliminating the stains).

Another home remedy is to make a slightly more abrasive paste from baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. This home remedy does not taste delicious but can take your stain removal to the next level.

If there is no success with whitening toothpaste or baking soda paste, at-home whitening strips or trays can do the trick. It’s important to read the directions carefully and use no more often than recommended. At-home tooth whitening systems can increase tooth sensitivity and may damage enamel in the long-term.

Better yet, your dentist has tons of safe tooth whitening tricks up their sleeve. If you’re suffering from extensive stains, a trip to the dentist may be the only way to get rid of them.

Professional tooth whitening

Professional tooth whitening services include:

  • Tooth bleaching
  • Laser whitening
  • Deep bleaching

These procedures can dramatically whiten teeth in just one visit.

Dental veneers

Dental veneers are thin porcelain shells, custom-made and attached to your stained teeth with a dental adhesive.

While these are often used for intrinsic stains, people with stubborn extrinsic coffee stains on teeth may choose this option for better results.

Dental crowns

Used as a last resort, dental crowns require more removal of your natural tooth. This makes crowns a more permanent solution to coffee stains on teeth, as the tooth cannot remain uncovered once a crown is in place.

Still, when other stain removal options are ineffective, dental crowns work well.

Looking for a Phoenix area cosmetic dentist who understands your love of coffee? Give us a call to discuss your teeth whitening options!

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