- Brushing teeth before morning coffee reduces the risk of enamel staining and damage
- Coffee's acidity softens enamel, which takes 30 to 40 minutes to re-harden naturally
- Brushing immediately after coffee can erode softened enamel, causing yellowing teeth
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? If you follow Charlie Harper's routine in Two And A Half Men and instantly pour coffee for yourself, you might be making your teeth more susceptible to staining.
How? Dr Mark Burhenne, a US-based dentist, shared that the right approach is to brush before drinking coffee. Doing so can help reduce the chances of staining.
Why You Should Brush Before Morning Coffee
"Every time you brush right after your morning coffee, you're not cleaning your teeth - you're sanding them," read the caption of his Instagram reel.
He explained that coffee has a pH of around 5. When it comes into contact with your enamel, it triggers an acid softening response.
"Your enamel doesn't harden back up instantly - that process takes 30 to 40 minutes," he explained. Therefore, if you brush your teeth before that window is over, you are not removing stains but scrubbing off the softened mineral structure from the surface.
"Over time, that's why your teeth get progressively more yellow despite brushing twice a day," he added.
Also, when you drink coffee before brushing, the milk proteins stick better to your teeth because the biofilm left overnight is sticky. Hence, you should brush before drinking your morning coffee.
Correlation Between Morning Coffee And Brushing
If you have the habit of brushing after your morning coffee, there is a routine that you can follow to achieve better results without weakening your enamel. The dentist not only explained why one of your habits might be ruining your bright smile, but he also shared a fix. He recommended using an MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil blend for rinsing.
"Oil has a remarkable ability to thin the biofilm - the bacterial film that coats your teeth - without any mechanical abrasion," he explained.
It is like a liquid toothbrush, but better. This way, you are not skipping oral hygiene, and your practices help prevent your enamel from becoming vulnerable and weak.
"Sipping water alongside your coffee helps dilute the acid load as you go, which makes the whole recovery window shorter," the dentist added.
After 30-40 minutes, you can brush your teeth normally. A simple change in your everyday habits can safeguard your enamel in the long term. However, he added that most people do the exact opposite of what he recommends.
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