Coffee and Dental Health

Coffee = teeth stainer ??

Coffee is a notorious teeth stainer. For the millions of us who drink coffee every day, we often get asked at the dentist whether we drink coffee—and that’s probably because we have noticeable staining.

But is coffee as bad for our teeth as it seems? According to a new study; The Federal University of Rio De Janeiro in Brazil released a study showing that varieties of coffee high in caffeine are also high in polyphenol, which help to break up plaque-causing bacteria. The chemical is naturally found in the coffee bean, but is in higher concentrations with more caffeine-rich varieties like Robusta.

coffee

Even though this may sound like great news, there are a few very significant caveats. First, coffee can still stain teeth even if it may slightly help in fighting plaque. Second, the polyphenol effect only occurs when you drink your coffee black. If you use sugar, cream, or sweeteners, those counter-act the work that the polyphenol does.

Still, there have been some recent studies that suggest coffee is good for your health in other ways, so if you don’t drink it for your teeth, enjoy it for the rest of your body. Just don’t forget to brush and visit the dentist regularly to keep the staining under control!

 

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