Coffee and wine fans often worry that their favorite drinks are harming their dental health. In fact, your morning and evening beverages could actually be helping your teeth.
Besides causing staining, which is solely a cosmetic concern, coffee, tea, and even wine are unlikely to cause cavities or other dental issues.
Want to see the proof?
A 2014 study showed that coffee may actually help prevent plaque build up. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jafc.7b05466
Polyphenols in wine were shown to inhibit oral bacterial growth in a 2018 study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24909065/
And both black and green tea have been shown oral health benefits by preventing plaque buildup that causes gum disease and cavities: https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(14)61762-1/fulltext#relatedArticles https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459493/
Here are some other common questions about how different beverages affect your teeth:
Does drinking coffee cause cavities?
No*.
Cavities are holes in your teeth that form when acids break down enamel, and the critical pH of enamel (the pH level at which breakdown occurs) is between a pH of 4.5 and 5.5. Black coffee is slightly acidic with a pH of 5.7, so by itself, coffee is not acidic enough to demineralize enamel and cause cavities.
*If you add sugar to your coffee, the equation changes, and you are more likely to be doing damage to your teeth. The bacteria in your mouth process the sugar to produce acids that break down the tooth structure.
Adding milk to your coffee will make your coffee slightly less acidic since milk has a pH between 6.5 and 6.9, but milk also naturally contains sugars that can cause damage to your enamel.
Does drinking tea cause cavities?
No*.
Green tea has a pH of 7 to 10, which makes it neutral to basic, meaning it will not cause cavities. Black tea is slightly acidic with a pH of 4.9 to 5.5, and although it could have negative effects on your teeth if consumed in large quantities, is unlikely to be doing much damage. Herbal teas vary in pH, with lemon tea being potentially very acidic with a pH of as low as 3, which is harmful to enamel, while chamomile tea is not damaging with a pH between 6 and 7.
*Adding sugar to your tea increases the likelihood that you will end up with cavities.
Does drinking wine cause cavities?
It could.
The pH of wines usually ranges from 3.0 to 4.0, which is acidic enough to demineralize enamel and cause cavities. Depending on how sweet the wine is, it may also contain sugar that will cause more damage.
Does drinking soda cause cavities?
Yes.
Soda, juice, flavored waters, and kombucha are much more damaging to teeth than coffee with pH levels ranging from 2.5 to 4.0. And that lemon water that’s touted as great for your health? The acid from the lemon is hurting your teeth. Soda is especially harmful because of the high sugar content.
For dental health, the duration and frequency of acid and sugar exposure is generally a more important factor than total amounts. When the pH in your mouth drops, it takes 20 to 30 minutes to rebound to neutral, so if you’re sipping on soda or lemon water all afternoon, the pH level does not get a chance to recover. Although not recommended, drinking a liter of soda in 30 minutes with your lunch would not be as damaging to your teeth as sipping it throughout the day.
Does coffee or tea cause worse staining?
Black tea usually causes the most staining on teeth, with coffee coming in second. Adding milk to your coffee reduces the staining, but also adds sugar.
How to remove coffee, tea, and wine stains from teeth
Staining on teeth comes in two different forms: extrinsic and intrinsic stain. Extrinsic staining is surface staining that can be removed with abrasives, while intrinsic staining is discoloration within the tooth, which can only be addressed with bleaching.
The fastest, easiest way to get the extrinsic surface stains from dark beverages off of your teeth is to go to your dentist to get a professional dental cleaning. The scaling and polishing will remove stains, and also remove tartar buildup that harbors bacteria that can lead to gum disease.
If you’re in between dental visits, brushing with whitening toothpastes is a great option. Keep in mind, whitening toothpastes remove and prevent staining by being more abrasive, and some people may have increased sensitivity, especially to cold.
To address intrinsic staining, you’ll need to bleach your teeth, either at home, or with a professional whitening treatment at a dental office. All whitening is accomplished with hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, and over the counter products can work just as well as professional products, but generally take longer to get the same results because the gels are less concentrated. Bleaching your teeth does not harm the enamel, although it may cause temporary sensitivity and gum irritation.
Brushing your teeth with a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda can achieve a little bit of both intrinsic and extrinsic stain removal, although baking soda is actually much less abrasive than most toothpastes, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is also lower than bleaching gels.
How to prevent coffee, tea, and wine from staining teeth
While you probably can’t completely avoid staining from tea, coffee, and wine, here are a few things you can do to reduce stain:
- Drink through a straw
- Rinse your mouth with water after drinking dark beverages
- Brush your teeth 30 minutes afterwards
- Floss at least once a day to avoid stain buildup between teeth
- Use a whitening toothpaste
Coffee, tea, and even wine (in moderation of course) are usually not the worst thing you’re doing to your teeth. As long as you are maintaining good oral hygiene habits including brushing and flossing, and regular dental visits, enjoy your ritual beverages guilt-free!
