Dental Benefits And Detriments To Coffee And Tea
Most people—especially here in the Pacific Northwest—enjoy starting the morning off with a nice cup of coffee or tea. But many of us haven’t given much thought to how this morning ritual affects our teeth. The fact that coffee and tea can cause staining is fairly well-known, but do tea and coffee have effects on your teeth? Are there any benefits to sipping coffee and tea regularly? The answer to both of those questions is: yes.
Dark Colors of Coffee and Tea Can Cause Enamel Stains
Because enamel is porous, dark-colored foods and drinks such as coffee and tea can cause your teeth to stain. Imagine the inside of your coffee mug—coffee does the same thing to your teeth that it does to your nice, white, previously clean cup. Tea has been shown to stain even more than coffee!
Tea is not Acidic for Teeth
Acidity can cause enamel erosion. While coffee is acidic, tea has minimal acidity. The acidity in coffee can cause enamel to wear away, and once your enamel is lost it doesn’t grow back. Enamel erosion can lead to increased sensitivity, increased risk for tooth decay, and discolored teeth due to the fact that the layer under the enamel is darker than your white, natural crowns.
Benefits of Drinking (Black) Coffee and Tea
Do coffee and tea have effects on your teeth? Yes. But there’s also many benefits of drinking both!
Black coffee, and certain teas, have been shown to help destroy plague-causing bacteria. Coffee and tea are antibacterial against Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), the main bacteria that causes tooth decay. Roasted beans tested better against S. mutans than unroasted beans, although both showed benefits. It has been shown that coffee, specifically roasted coffee, interferes with the absorption of bacteria to teeth, and although it doesn’t completely prevent growth of S. mutans, it does reduce the amount that sticks to your teeth.
Teas have also shown some of the same benefits as coffee. Green tea in particular has added benefits from its natural antioxidant compounds (catechins). The Journal of Periodontology showed improvement in the teeth of individuals with periodontal disease after drinking one cup of tea per day. The catechins in the tea interfere with the inflammation that results from bacteria in the mouth associated with periodontal disease. Black tea had similar results, but to a lesser extent.