How Does Coffee Stain Teeth?
by Kaytee Stephens
Most of us can't live without a daily dose of coffee to jump-start the day, but could the beverage that puts morning smiles on our faces also be making our smiles less brilliant? It's a fact that coffee stains teeth, but there are ways to help maintain a pearly-white smile. How Does Coffee Stain Teeth? The enamel on your teeth is the hardest substance in the human body, but it is not flat and smooth. Actually, your tooth enamel contains microscopic pits and ridges that can hold particles of food and drink. Coffee contains natural compounds called tannins that cause pigments to stick to your teeth. Pigments from dark-colored drinks, such as coffee, tea and soda, can become embedded in the cracks and ridges of your enamel. Over time, this leads to permanent discoloration of your teeth. Does Coffee Stain Teeth Less If You Add Cream? It only takes one cup of coffee a day to stain your teeth. While it may seem that lighter-colored coffee would stain less, the same pigments and acids are present in coffee with cream as black coffee. Adding any sort of creamer to your coffee will not prevent your teeth from becoming stained, unless you put significantly less coffee in your cup to make room for the cream. How to Prevent "Coffee Smile" Home Remedies There are