The Science Behind Coffee Stains

Many can’t imagine getting through the day without their cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, coffee is known to leave stains on your teeth. Is it possible to have an award-winning smile without becoming a grumpy morning zombie? Let’s take a look into the science behind coffee stains, and how you can avoid tanned teeth.

What are Tannins?

Tannins are organic compounds naturally found in coffee, tea, and wine. Not only do tannins give these drinks their beloved flavours and colours, but they’re also at fault for staining your teeth. 

How do Tannins Stain Your Teeth?

Teeth are covered in a thin layer of enamel, which is the hardest substance in the human body. Enamel isn’t flat and smooth as running your tongue over your teeth would have you believe, it’s actually covered in tiny pores. 

You can’t see or feel them, but they’re big enough to trap tannins in the lining of your teeth. If you’re not a regular coffee drinker, you may not notice a change in the appearance of your teeth. However, for people that swear by coffee, it can be a smile altering process.

Did you know that coffee is acidic? That’s right coffee addicts, by overexposing your teeth to coffee, you are slowly degrading your enamel, making it easier for those tannins to stain your teeth.

Put down the cup, and find out how you can avoid yellow teeth without giving up your favorite morning pick-me-up.

Ways To Prevent Coffee Stains

Brush and Floss After Drinking

If you’re an avid coffee drinker, then you need to learn how to take care of your dental hygiene after your Pumpkin Spice latte. 

Beverages high in acidity, like coffee, can soften your enamel. If you brush your teeth directly after consuming coffee, you could actually be doing more harm than good by further damaging your enamel and the layers below.

You should wait at least 30 minutes after you’ve finished your coffee to brush your teeth. This allows time to neutralise the acids left in your mouth by your coffee.

Use a Straw Whilst Drinking

This might seem strange, but it actually helps when it comes to protecting your enamel. When you drink normally from a cup, the liquid flows over your teeth into your mouth. If that drink just so happens to be a cup of coffee, your teeth have a high chance of staining.

Consider drinking your coffee with a straw, which will avoid contact with the teeth altogether, and significantly reduce the staining effect of your coffee.

Use White Glo’s Advanced Teeth Whitening Kit

If you want to avoid a coffee-stained smile, and unwanted trips to the dentist, then you should consider using the White Glo Advanced Teeth Whitening Kit.

Simply apply the whitening serum onto the inside of the Instant-Fit Mouth Tray, turn it on, place the tray in your mouth for 10 minutes,  and you’ll notice positive changes in the colour of your teeth after the first use.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of using a teeth whitening kit, then check out this post here.

It’s time for coffee, smile!