Drinking coffee is a great way to give you a boost when you need to get some work done. Unfortunately, one of the biggest drawbacks to enjoying a regular cup of coffee is tooth stains. The tannins, which give coffee its bitter taste, can stain tooth enamel over time. But if your once pearly whites have coffee stains on them, you and your dentist can do something about them. 

Dental cleaning can remove coffee stains

During a dental cleaning, dentists or dental hygienists remove plaque and tartar from the surface of teeth. A dental cleaning can remove stains from the surface of tooth enamel too. So if your teeth have coffee stains, book a dental cleaning at your local dentist. However, in some cases, dental cleanings can't remove coffee stains completely. If tannins have penetrated deeper than the surface of your tooth enamel, then whitening can help.

Teeth whitening can remove coffee stains

Teeth whitening is designed to remove staining molecules from within the pores of tooth enamel. During a whitening session, a dentist will create a whitening tray that fits your jaw and bite comfortably. This helps to achieve maximum whitening results. The hydrogen or carbamide peroxide whitening gel that the dentist places in the tray gradually removes stains from within tooth enamel.

You can choose to whiten your teeth at home with over-the-counter whitening trays from a local pharmacy, but these trays are not made to fit your bite. This means that you might not get the results you want.

Drinking through a straw can help prevent staining

Once your dentist has removed coffee stains from your teeth, you can then work to ensure that your teeth don't become stained again. One way of doing this is to drink your coffee through a straw. If you feel uncomfortable about drinking coffee through a straw at work, purchase a coffee flask that comes with a straw and use that. Then you can keep your teeth coffee-stain-free discreetly.

Drinking water between mouthfuls helps stop staining

Tannins in coffee are sticky. And the more sips you take of coffee while enjoying a cup, the more tannins will stick to your teeth. This is why coffee can quickly stain teeth in a short time. But you can help to wash away the tannins from your teeth between mouthfuls of coffee by drinking water between sips. The water will help to remove the tannins from your teeth and reduce the staining effect.

Contact your dentist for more information on dental cleanings.