If you enjoy starting your day with a nice cup of hot joe, you are far from alone. People across the world love coffee for its robust flavor and ability to perk up a groggy individual, but overindulging in this dark beverage carries a few risks to your dental health. Coffee is slightly acidic and high in pigments and tannins that can leave unsightly stains on your teeth, but can it do the same to your porcelain veneers? Here’s a brief guide to how coffee can affect your cosmetic dental appliances as well as a few tips for keeping your smile shiny and bright.
How Can Coffee Stain Teeth?
When coffee makes contact with your teeth, the acid it contains begins to weaken your enamel, making it easier for the dark pigments in the beverage to become embedded in your smile. Over time, this can cause your teeth to take on unsightly yellowish stains. Dental stains can be intrinsic, meaning they are located beneath your enamel, or extrinsic, meaning they are located on the surface of your teeth.
Porcelain Veneers Are Stain-Resistant
While porcelain can be made to mimic the natural pearlescence of real teeth, it is non-porous, which makes it quite difficult to stain. However, repeated exposure to stain-causing foods and beverages over extended periods of time can lead to unsightly discolorations. This is much more likely if the glaze coating the porcelain becomes compromised due to erosion.
How Can I Keep My Porcelain Veneers Shiny and Bright?
Luckily, there are a few measures you can take that can greatly reduce the risk of your coffee habit leaving a noticeable mark on your smile. A few excellent suggestions include:
- Drink coffee through as straw: Using a straw when enjoying dark, stain-causing beverages can greatly reduce how much contact these liquids make with your teeth.
- Enjoy water with your coffee: Drinking water while enjoying a stain-causing, acidic, or sugary beverage can help dilute the liquid and wash it away from your teeth.
- Practice excellent oral hygiene: Brushing, flossing, and using antibacterial mouthwash every day is your first line of defense against dental stains, tooth decay, and gum disease.
- Consider using nonabrasive gel toothpaste: Gel toothpastes are designed to be gentler on restorations such as dentures, dental crowns, and porcelain veneers to prevent unsightly scratches and damage to protective layers of glaze.
- See your dentist regularly: Routine dental appointments are crucial parts of keeping your teeth and veneers clean and healthy.
With the proper precautions, it’s perfectly safe to enjoy coffee in moderation after receiving cosmetic dental treatments. With excellent care, your porcelain veneers can last for up to fifteen years before needing replacement.
About the Practice
Advanced Dental Concepts offers exceptional oral health services to the Dyer community. Led by Drs. Danny Hayes and Mallek Nahhas, the staff delivers exemplary dental care in a warm and welcoming environment. Areas of expertise include general, restorative, emergency, and cosmetic dentistry such as porcelain veneers. To learn more about keeping your veneers in excellent shape, contact the practice online or dial (219) 322-3418.