Can Hot Beverages Impact Enamel?
What you eat and drink can impact the health of your teeth.1 Erosive tooth wear is when the enamel that protects the outer layer of your teeth becomes thin and wears down due to chemical or mechanical forces, which can make your teeth more vulnerable to discoloration and staining.2 This erosive wear is also permanent; if your enamel has started to wear away, you may experience more serious oral health issues such as cavities and potential tooth loss.1
While it’s easy to imagine that sweet and acidic drinks can make the most impact on your teeth, over time many common beverages can impact the way that your teeth look.1 In addition, the loss of tooth enamel can also lead to hypersensitivity to heat, cold and sweets.2
Fortunately, the process of enamel erosion happens slowly, and enamel erosion can be slowed down or prevented before it gets worse.2 See how some of the most beloved hot beverages, such as tea and coffee, can affect your tooth enamel so you can go back to enjoying them while maintaining your oral health.3
The Relationship Between Tooth Enamel and Discoloration
One of the complications of tooth erosion is the appearance of yellow or stained teeth.2 This is known as “extrinsic discoloration” and is caused by loss of enamel.3 Staining caused by food and beverages happens more often with darker-colored ingredients: beets, chocolate, soy sauce, and black coffee are common culprits.3
Is Hot Tea Bad for Your Teeth?
When the temperatures get colder or when you’re feeling under the weather, there can be few things more relaxing than a freshly brewed cup of hot tea. However, if you’re already suffering from enamel loss, you may feel pain or sensitivity when consuming hot, cold or sweet drinks.1
In addition, teas, coffee and red wine are high in tannins, which are compounds that naturally occur in plant-based foods and beverages.4 Tannin pigments adhere to teeth and may cause small changes in the enamel surface over time, leading to staining.5
How to Enjoy Tea without Staining Your Teeth
Because it’s high in calcium, milk is a great option to help remineralize your tooth enamel, and it’s often considered one of the best foods or drinks for your oral health.6 Therefore, adding a splash of milk to tea may help prevent teeth staining if you’re a light coffee or tea drinker.7 Since coffee and milk go hand-in-hand, taking your coffee with milk can also mitigate some of the effects of extrinsic stains.3
Green and black teas are also good options for your oral health because they contain polyphenols that may help prevent plaque-causing bacteria from making the acid that attacks tooth enamel.6 These polyphenols may also contribute to tea’s proven health benefits through their antioxidant, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.8
If you’re experiencing the early stages of enamel erosion, it’s not too late to protect your teeth and maintain good oral health. Wait an hour before you brush your teeth after eating acidic foods to give your saliva a chance to naturally wash away acids and re-harden your enamel. Be sure to consume acidic foods and beverages in moderation and brush twice daily with a specialized toothpaste like Pronamel.1,3 Its unique formulation can strengthen weakened areas of enamel, help freshen breath and whiten teeth at the same time.
Source Citations:
- Erosion: What You Eat and Drink Can Impact Teeth. MouthHealthy. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/dietary-acids-and-your-teeth/. Accessed 7/19/2024.
- Tooth Erosion. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/tooth-erosion/. Accessed 7/19/2024.
- What Causes Discolored Teeth and Is There Any Way to Cure or Prevent Staining? Tufts University. https://now.tufts.edu/2016/03/18/what-causes-discolored-teeth-and-there-any-way-cure-or-prevent-staining/. Accessed 7/19/2024.
- Saliva tannin interactions. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11106991/. Accessed 7/19/2024.
- Effects of Tannin on Experimental Staining of Enamel. J-STAGE. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jarde/20/2/20_jarde20_47/_pdf/. Accessed 7/19/2024.
- The Best and Worst Foods for Your Teeth. University of Rochester Medical Center. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4062. Accessed 7/19/2024.
- Research shows adding milk to tea can prevent enamel staining. University of Alberta. https://www.ualberta.ca/school-of-dentistry/about-us/dentistrynews/2015/august/research-shows-adding-milk-to-tea-can-prevent-enamel-staining.html. Accessed 7/19/2024.
- Health Benefits of Tea. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92768/. Accessed 7/19/2024.
