How Drinking Coffee Affects Oral Health
Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. As warm, comforting and energizing as it is, it can also be quite damaging to your teeth. This is why many health experts suggest that one should always brush their teeth prior to drinking coffee.
Research shows that even the simple act of sipping coffee can deplete the minerals in your teeth. The drink itself contains several acids that act as reliable agents in the deterioration of your teeth’s enamel. Your teeth can break down their protective barriers and become prone to infections. While you might be able to get away with drinking an occasional cup of coffee, if you’re an avid coffee drinker, your teeth will need some extra care.
Dentists and medical experts emphasise the importance of regular brushing and flossing. The routine should also comprise of using a mouthwash, along with brushing your teeth before drinking coffee. This allows for better protection against the acids in the coffee, and can help you save your tooth from unwanted decay and breakage.
Considering that most of us are habitual coffee drinkers, it’s important to prioritize your oral health. Coffee can have serious effects on our teeth, so it’s best to drink your cup with some extra precautions. For example, you might want to avoid sipping your drink too quickly, as this can increase the acidity of your brew and may trigger some serious damage to your teeth.
It’s also essential to keep in mind that drinking your caffeinated beverage through a straw can actually help damage your teeth less. Yes, this may seem counterintuitive, as the drink never comes into contact with your teeth, but it’s true. Through the straw, the coffee just glides in and out of the mouth, lasting a considerably lesser amount of time, and it doesn’t irritate your teeth as much.
The Benefits Of Brushing Before Drinking Coffee
Brushing your teeth before drinking coffee serves several functions. For starters, it eliminates the plaque on your teeth, reducing the chance of bacterial growth. By brushing your teeth, you can also get rid of any food leftovers that have been stuck to your teeth and may have bred further bacteria if left for a long time. While drinking your cup of energizing java, if any of this residue by chance enters into your brew, it can influence the flavor, making it undesirable. This can also lead to several other oral and health related problems.
Moreover, brushing your teeth eliminates any foul odor that may be present in your mouth, as a result of bad dental hygiene practiced prior to drinking coffee. As the drink enters into your mouth, this undesirable smell can make the experience of sipping your cup of coffee unappealing, to say the least.
How Often Should You Brush Before Drinking Coffee?
The frequency of brushing teeth before drinking coffee depends on the individual’s habits and diet. For instance, some people may benefit from brushing their teeth before every cup of black coffee. This would likely be the habit of someone who drinks a cup several times a day and eat high sugar and/or acidity foods throughout the day.
On the other hand, if you have low sugar consumption and barely ever snacking times, then brushing your teeth once per day should be more than enough for your dental hygiene and protection against any acidic agents and bacteria.
Regardless of how often you brush your teeth; it is always recommended to let your toothpaste bubble up and stay in your mouth. This creates a thin layer of protection around the teeth, and reduces the chances of acidic agents and bacteria gradually deteriorating your teeth’s enamel.
What To Avoid When Drinking Coffee
One of the most important things to take into consideration when drinking coffee is to avoid sugar. Not only does this sweetening agent have an unhealthy effect on your teeth, it also takes away a lot of the natural flavor of your cup. To make up for this lack of taste, many people replace the sugar with artificial sweeteners, which also have an adverse effect on your oral health.
It is also vital to reduce or avoid adding cream or milk to your morning cup of coffee, as these can also take away from the flavor. As they are dairy-based agents, they also harbor additional bacteria that can harm your teeth.
Conclusion
The importance of good oral health is indisputable. While coffee can be a necessary component of a healthy lifestyle and daily routine, it can also hold many dangers. To avoid any damage to your teeth, brushing before drinking coffee is highly recommended. It not only eliminates carcinogenic agents, but it also protects your teeth against acidity damage, as well as taste-ruining agents such as sugar. So make sure to keep up with your brushing routine and enjoy your coffee safely.
