Some people guzzle their coffee as if their life depends on it. Others prefer to slowly sip on it over the course of an hour or two. But if you’re the latter, you might want to rethink the latter, and it’s all because of your teeth.
According to dental professionals, slowly sipping coffee can damage your enamel over time and cause cavities.
TikTok content creator and dentist Suhail Mohiuddin, DDS created a video explaining that many of his patients experience cavities due to how they consume their coffee. The drink can drop the pH level of your mouth below 5.5, and when this is the case for 30 minutes or more, your enamel begins to wear away.
@dr.m_ Drink acidic drinks in less than 30 mins and rinse with water afterwards
So, is that true? Well+Good spoke with multiple dental professionals who backed up the assertion.
“Sipping your coffee for hours can be worse for your teeth than drinking it quickly because the sugars and acids in the coffee can stay in your mouth for a longer period of time, increasing the risk of tooth decay as the sugar and acids in coffee can erode tooth enamel,” Michael Wei, DDS, told the outlet.
So how should you drink your coffee? Wei said drinking within five to 10 minutes is ideal, but that all depends on your stomach. Drinking coffee too fast can irritate some people’s stomachs, and you don’t want that either.
If you can’t finish your coffee that quickly, though, you should rinse your mouth with water after finishing, and be sure to drink plenty of water while sipping as well. According to Wei, water can help get any remaining coffee away from the teeth and keep them healthy.
If you’re a long-haul coffee sipper and you can’t live without your coffee warmer, it might be time to rethink your habit…at least for your teeth’s sake.
