3 Dental Care Tips For Frequent Coffee Drinkers

If you are a person who doesn't really feel like facing the world until you have had a cup of coffee in the morning, or if your favorite hangout spot is the local coffee shop, you could be wondering how your affection for coffee could be affecting your teeth. Of course, coffee can stain and damage your teeth if you aren't careful, but you do not have to completely stop drinking coffee in order to focus on better dental care. These are a few helpful dental care tips that can help frequent coffee drinkers.

1. Add Cream or Milk to Your Coffee

For one thing, you should know that if the coffee that you drink is darker in color, it can be more prone to causing noticeable staining on your teeth. One good way to help prevent your coffee from staining your teeth -- and for some, to make it taste a lot better -- is to add milk or cream. Of course, this can add more calories to your cup of coffee, but you can always try healthy options like soy milk. Just be careful about flavored creamers; even though they taste great and can be good for lightening your coffee, they can have a lot of added sugars.

2. Be Careful About Adding Sugar

If you are like many coffee drinkers, you might like to add sugar to your cup of coffee. However, as you might already know, sugar can cause tooth decay. Therefore, minimizing the amount of sugar that you add to your coffee can help you reduce the effects on your teeth. Once you add a little bit of milk or cream, you might find that you do not even want to add any sugar at all. If you do want to add a sweetener, consider adding a sugar substitute. Sugar substitutes do not have the same effect on teeth as sugar, and they are lower in calories as well, so you might find that they are better for both your teeth and your waistline.

3. Talk to Your Dentist

If you haven't been already, it's a good idea to be honest with your dentist about your habit of drinking coffee. He or she might suggest that you come in for more regular cleanings to help counteract the effects. Additionally, your dentist can also tell you about professional teeth whitening services that can help you get rid of any discoloration that might have been caused by coffee.

For more information, contact a local dentist, such as Kyle J Frisinger DMD.

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