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How Does Coffee Affect My Teeth?

Coffee should really be a food group of its own with how prevalent it is in our daily life. While the delicious drink might give you a kick start to your day and positively affect your daily function, it also affects your teeth in the following ways.

STAINING:

If you’re wondering why you have yellow teeth but have never touched a cigarette in your life, it’s from your coffee. The molecule in coffee which gives it it’s dark, rich color can bind to the crevices in your teeth and stain them. However, with limiting your intake or simply by rinsing your mouth out with water or mouthwash after each cup, you can reduce the amount of staining that is caused.

DRY MOUTH:

The caffeine in coffee and other beverages can cause dry mouth as it reduces the amount of saliva present in the mouth. Without saliva present, bad breath and cavities become much more common. So, if you can’t give up the coffee, at least have some water during the day as well to balance everything out and keep yourself hydrated.

EROSION:

Coffee is fairly low when it comes to acid content when compared to sodas or lemonades, but there is still enough present that someone who drinks coffee daily or multiple times a day, can overtime be susceptible to acid erosion, or the breaking down and thinning of the enamel. Again, rinsing your mouth out with water can help prevent this.

If you suffer from any of the following, please give us a call and set up a consultation and we’ll help you get to the root of the problem.

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Dental Photography

Dental photography is a practice that more and more dental offices are using in order to provide the highest quality of care to their patients. Dental photography goes beyond just the typical x-rays that are given–these are actual photos taken by a DSLR camera. If you are a dental office that does not currently provide dental photography, here are a few reasons why you should start today.

First off, it gives an HD look at the inside of the mouth, providing crystal clear images that can be examined and even shown to patients so they are able to see what their dentist’s see. For people who are skeptical of their dentist and believe that they are trying to push them into procedures that they don’t actually need, these images are incredibly helpful to show them what’s going on in their mouth and what can be done in order to fix or reverse it. A popular option for the camera in use is a Canon T6 Rebel equipped with a 100mm macro lens.

Secondly, it’s helpful for the dentists and hygienists to track slow changes processes that happen to the gums and teeth such as gum recession, tooth movement, and even the wearing down of teeth–things that aren’t always able to be memorized for each patient and taken note of with just a pen and paper. This can be helpful for early detection of these kinds of changes as well so that early treatment can begin before the problem gets worse.

Third, it builds trust between patient and dentist, and also benefits the patient in the form of education. As mentioned above, there are many people who are skeptical of dentists either by rumours, stereotypes, and personal experiences that make them wary of accepting recommended treatments. Through the use of dental photography, dentists can show their patients exactly what is going on in their mouth, such as a cavity, educate them on the problem, and then use these tools with the patient in order to come up with a solution. Just as continuing education is important for dentists, educating patients should be another priority so they feel informed and comfortable.

With these things in mind, it might be time to integrate this service in with your own practice. Many dental offices offer this service for free as they believe that everyone should have access to this kind of service to receive the best possible care, while others charge a small fee. However you decide to run your practice, dental photography provides multiple benefits that can, in turn, benefit you as well.

For patients, remember that you always have a choice on whether or not you want this service to be performed on you. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of having their photos taken, but rest assured, these photos are confidential, not shared with anyone except your dental health team, and can be beneficial to your health.

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