Brushing Your Teeth After Drinking Coffee, It Turns Out That It Actually Triggers Cavities

Illustration of a toothbrush after drinking coffee (Pexels/Karolina Grabowska)

YOGYAKARTA - For coffee drinkers, maintaining the integrity and health of teeth is done by brushing teeth in the right way and frequency. Brushing teeth, theoretically useful in fighting plaque and removing the smell of coffee. But apparently, you don't have to brush your teeth after coffee.

Dentist Sharon Huang, who operates a Manhattan practice, describes in detail how long the distance between a sip of coffee and a toothbrush is and how to freshen your mouth for coffee drinkers. According to him, coffee is an acidic drink. Other foods and drinks that have a high level of acidity, after drinking them will demineralize teeth. The effect is that tooth enamel becomes softer so that if you add a toothbrush, it can damage teeth, cause teeth to be more sensitive, and cause cavities.

Citing Well and Good, you don't have to brush your teeth after drinking coffee. In fact, you need to be given a break for some time, then you can freshen your mouth. Doctor Huang advises, you need to wait at least 30 minutes after the condition of the tooth enamel hardens again and does not disappear when you brush your teeth.

Illustration of a toothbrush after drinking coffee (Pexels/Mike Jones)

You can freshen your mouth by rinsing your mouth or gargling with room temperature water. Huang also suggests chewing sugarless gum for 30 minutes after consuming coffee or other acidic foods and drinks. This method can help you increase saliva in your mouth and get rid of acid.

In the morning, the ideal time to brush your teeth is between waking up and before drinking coffee. Brushing your teeth before drinking coffee can help get rid of plaque and bacteria that accumulated overnight.

Furthermore, the way to maintain healthy teeth and mouth for coffee drinkers can be done with these four good habits. First, start with flossing then brushing your teeth. This step is done twice a day, ie morning and night. Third, use a tongue cleaner to remove bacteria. Finally, cap off daily maintenance with an alcohol-free mouthwash.

In addition to the four daily steps above, it is recommended that you have your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year. This cleaning is effective at removing stains before they migrate to the deeper layers of the tooth.