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Coffee doesn't cause tooth decay. Sugar causes tooth decay. You can drink Coffee without sugar.
by HPMOR 3y ago
Coffee doesn't cause tooth decay. Sugar causes tooth decay. You can drink Coffee without sugar.
- slabity 3y agoNot a dentist, but I think it's the acid that causes tooth decay. Microbes create the acid from dissolved sugar in your mouth. The question is whether coffee is acidic enough to do damage even without the sugar.
- waboremo 3y agoI believe the common theory is not the coffee acidity on its own, but the habits around it. People often drink coffee slowly and without a straw, this leads to staining but not tooth decay. However the slow part contributes to the teeth not getting a chance to neutralize acidity normally. This gets worse when people then brush their teeth after their morning coffee to prevent bad breath, which the abrasiveness combined with the acid environment does cause havok. Both of them can be avoided in a variety of ways, to reduce both staining and decay.
- joaonmatos 3y agoYou can have your espresso standing up at the café's bar like an authentic southern European and avoid the problem? Sounds great! :D
- ziml77 3y agoInteresting. For a few years I was extremely bad about brushing my teeth. I wonder if not doing that is why my consumption of coffee, carbonated drinks, and sugary snacks/desserts did nothing to the teeth themselves other than maybe a little extra staining. The first dentist visit I had after that stretch of 3 years required nothing but a cleaning! (Of course it's still bad to not brush consistently because the plaque turns to tartar along the gums which causes them to recede)
- waboremo 3y agoSimilar situation, he was surprised by how white they were too. I drink almost everything that isn't water through a straw and never swish it around. He said that's probably why the only reason he had to do any work was due to the very back edge of my teeth where even when drinking through a straw the liquid touches.
- searchingalways 3y agoHey look something I’m relevant too as a dentist. Tooth decay requires several parameters 1- bacteria 2- bacteria food source 3- acidic environment 4- time We all have the bacteria but the other ones are somewhat controllable. What many people don’t account for is the 4th parameter of contact time. It would be better (for your teeth, not overall health) to rapidly drink several sodas than periodically sip one for several hours. Decay typically only occurs in a pH environment of 5.5 or lower, otherwise the enamel is resistant to the acid. So the longer the pH is lower the more likely you will develop a cavity.
- boppo1 3y agoSo... how bad is a black coffee I sip on for 30 min? Google says the PH is about 5. No Also: it has definitely stained my teeth. Is there a way to remove the stains that doesn't weaken the enamel?
- moffkalast 3y agoSo the trick is to have basic teeth.
- lsaferite 3y agoThis comment made me chuckle. Thanks!
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]