Consuming coffee and tea in daily life is the greatest pleasure of most people. However, this pleasant habit causes important effects on our teeth. Both coffee and tea are staining substances in terms of teeth. When consumed frequently, coffee and tea lead to discoloration and staining of the teeth. Adana Private Oral and Dental Health Polyclinic Dentrum explained the effect of consuming too much coffee and tea on the teeth for you.
1 – Color Changes
Drinks such as tea and coffee negatively affect the natural white color of our teeth. The components called tannins in their content cause color compounds to adhere to the tooth surface. When these compounds adhere to the tooth surface, they leave a yellow color behind them. As a result of the yellow and brown color changes, our teeth take on a stained appearance. It produces negative results aesthetically. It badly affects our quality of life and self-confidence.
2 – The Damage They Cause to Tooth Enamel
The tooth enamel of people who like to consume tea and coffee with sugar tends to be damaged. Since tooth enamel has a porous structure, acidic drinks easily erode and thin the tooth enamel. This causes our teeth to become much more sensitive. The sensitivity felt when consuming cold-hot drinks and foods is a sign that the tooth enamel has been damaged.
3 – It Increases the Risk of Tooth Decay
Sugary tea and sugary coffee are two important factors that increase the risk of decay of our teeth. The sugar that adheres to the tooth surface enables bacteria to feed and develop. The activation of acid-secreting bacteria in the mouth causes tooth decay and gum infections.
4 – Dry Mouth
Caffeine causes dry mouth. As a result, our saliva flow decreases. Saliva secretion is a natural protector that helps clean the teeth. This situation can bring tooth decay and other oral health problems with it.
5 – Bad Breath
The decrease in saliva flow in the mouth and dry mouth lead to the rapid multiplication of bacteria. As these bacteria multiply, a disturbing bad breath occurs.
How Do We Prevent Tea and Coffee from Negatively Affecting Our Teeth?
Consuming large amounts of tea and coffee can cause all these negative effects. There are some precautions we can take to prevent this. Using mouthwash after drinking tea and coffee is beneficial. Brushing our teeth at the latest half an hour after drinking tea-coffee allows us to prevent these adversities.
We should consume drinks such as tea and coffee without sugar as much as possible. We should avoid consuming sugary foods such as Turkish delight and chocolate as an accompaniment to coffee. Instead, we can prefer fibrous fruits.
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