Table of Content

1. Do You Like Drinking Coffee?
2. Brush After 30 Minutes
3. What Are The Other Things You Need To Watch Out For?

Do You Like Drinking Coffee?

Did you know that brushing your teeth directly after drinking coffee could have a very bad impact? Do you start your day with a big cuppa? You aren’t the only one! Approximately 30 million Brits drink coffee every day, yet drinking your espresso every now and again (in excess of five cups per day) can be very bad for your teeth and mouth.

It’s a well-known fact that espresso can discolour your teeth, damage your teeth surface in turn having an adverse effect on its minerals and preventing its protective function. Plus, since your enamel is not alive, it can’t revitalise. And if you’re wearing aligners, it can also stain them. Yet, coffee can have some medical advantages, such lowering cancer chances, and supporting your digestive system.

You may ask yourself, how can something tastes so right and yet feels so wrong? Would it be better if you were to forget about coffee altogether, to ensure your teeth health in the long run? Not exactly, not yet anyway… You can still drink your espresso as long as you properly deal with your oral well-being, and shockingly… that implies delaying brushing your teeth, which is something you should do anyway to ensure the longevity and clarity of your aligners.

Brush After 30 Minutes

Your first intuition after drinking your cuppa would be to brush straight away, right?… Wrong… That sounds like a good idea, but in reality you would do more damage than good. Why? Because some very acidic beverages (like wine, espresso, sparkling sweet drinks) are very damaging to the teeth surface. So, if you were to brush straight away, you would harm your enamel and the yellow bit underneath, the dentin. By delaying brushing for up to 30 minutes or more, you allow the tooth surface to solidify once again. And you also stop your aligners from potentially staining.

What Are The Other Things You Need To Watch Out For?

• You could drink water directly after you finish your espresso, as water forms a protective barrier between the corrosive coffee substance and your saliva. After brushing your teeth, it’s also good practice to also floss! Which is something you can also do after every meal. Especially if you’re wearing clear aligners.
• You could also drink with a straw and take smaller sips, which can minimise the effects of the espresso on your teeth by limiting any contact with them.
• Finally… look after your teeth and oral health. This ought to be an easy decision. Brush your teeth every day, especially after eating and drinking anything other than still water; have regular dental check-ups, you can even look into bleaching your teeth if you are bothered by the appearance of your dark stained espresso teeth. Just make sure you consult your regular dentist if you have any serious issues.

So, drinking coffee can still feel good first thing in the morning and for a very long time! Just make sure you take the right steps to safeguard your mouth, aligners and teeth health along the way!