It’s unfortunate that drinking coffee can damage your braces and stain your teeth. If you consume hot coffee or other coffee beverages, you should be aware of how they will affect your brace and your teeth or you risk undoing all your hard work.
In this article, we’ll explain how various coffee beverages can affect different types of braces and what you can do to indulge guilt-free in your morning coffee ritual.
Can You Drink Coffee With Braces
Invisalign
Your teeth are not permanently bonded to the Invisalign aligner trays, also known as clear braces. All food can be eaten and drank much more easily because they can typically be removed and replaced with ease.
With the Invisalign trays in your mouth, it is not advised to consume hot liquids like soup, coffee, or tea. This is so that your treatment won’t be affected by the fact that Invisalign aligners are made of plastic and can warp when heated.
Additionally, coffee can stain your clear braces. Their invisibility is defeated if they are stained. Aligners from Invisalign won’t be visible to the unaided eye if properly maintained.
However, as long as they are taken off and then replaced, those wearing Invisalign braces can safely drink coffee.
If you want to drink coffee but can’t take off your Invisalign clear braces, stick to iced coffee. This might discolor your brace, but it should guarantee that the Invisalign trays are tightly sealed.
Traditional Braces
Ceramics or traditional metals are the most common materials used to make braces. You usually can’t remove them because they are fixed to your teeth, but you can still drink coffee with them.
Ceramic braces won’t stain because they were made to withstand all stains. But over time, the brace’s rubber bands may tarnish.
If you frequently drink coffee or other dark-colored beverages, metal braces may become stained.
When wearing conventional braces, you can drink coffee, but you should brush your teeth right away afterward. To prevent any stains, try drinking coffee and other options for dark-colored beverages through a straw.
What to Notice When Having Coffee With Braces
Add Milk to Your Coffee
Your braces and teeth may get stained differently depending on the color of your coffee. Black coffee will be made lighter in color and will offer some protection for your teeth from the coffee’s acidic stains when milk is added to a hot beverage.
Try Using a Straw
If coffee does not come in contact with your braces or teeth, neither will it stain them. Therefore, try drinking coffee through a straw to enjoy your beverage and prevent it from getting on your teeth.
Drink Coffee With Less Caffeine
Coffee is probably part of your morning ritual because of the caffeine. However, the amount of caffeine in your coffee determines how stained your teeth will become after drinking it.
This means that the less caffeine a beverage contains, the less likely it is to stain your teeth and damage your braces. Consider consuming decaffeinated coffee or other coffee-related beverages to reduce your caffeine intake. You won’t get your daily caffeine fix this way, but you will be able to enjoy coffee without risking damage to your braces.
Brush Your Teeth After Drinking Coffee
The coffee that remains on your teeth after drinking it can permanently stain them in addition to the coffee that comes in contact with them.
Because of this, if you feel the need to drink coffee while wearing braces, brush your teeth right away to get rid of any coffee stains. Whenever you go somewhere, make sure to always have a toothbrush with you. To keep that gorgeous smile intact, it’s also a good idea to mouthwash it right away, if at all possible.
Other Beverages That Should Be Avoided When You Have Braces
Tea
Because tea and iced tea are both highly pigmented beverages like coffee, they may stain your teeth in addition to the clear elastic bands or brackets of your braces. Your teeth may become deposited with minerals as a result of the stains, which can cause decay. If you simply can’t stop drinking tea, try switching to iced tea so you can sip it with a straw or drink hot tea with a straw. In order to get rid of any leftovers, you can brush your teeth as soon as you finish drinking them.
Soda
Even if you aren’t wearing braces, soda is one of the unhealthiest drinks and shouldn’t be consumed frequently. The acid in this beverage has the potential to erode tooth enamel and cause tooth decay. If you decide to drink soda while wearing braces, make sure to do so with a straw immediately after you’ve finished.
Red Wine
Similar to coffee, red wine can stain your teeth. This is because red wine contains tannin, acids, and natural dyes that will stain your brace and teeth. If you do drink red wine, you should brush your teeth right away to maintain oral hygiene.
Sports Drink
The amount of sugar in sports drinks is high. For instance, the fruit juices used in sports drinks are naturally acidic and high in sucrose. Both of these components have the potential to weaken the tooth structure and promote decay. Lemon-flavored sports drinks should also be avoided because the acids in them, especially if they are constantly in contact with your teeth, can erode the enamel’s surface.
Close Note
Although it’s not against the law to drink coffee while wearing braces, it’s best to limit your intake to avoid damaging your teeth or braces.
This will enable you to achieve your dental objectives and provide the best possible outcome for your orthodontic treatment.
If you can’t avoid them, make sure to follow the advice we provided above to maintain your braces and teeth.
FAQs
What Can I Drink With Braces?
The safest drinks to consume while wearing braces are milk and water. If at all possible, stay away from colored drinks, especially those that are dark.
Is Iced Coffee OK With Braces?
If you have braces on, it’s acceptable to drink iced coffee. To avoid coffee stains on your teeth, you can drink them through a straw.
Can I Drink Milk Coffee With Braces?
You can reduce the likelihood of coffee staining your teeth and braces by adding milk to it, which will lighten the coffee’s color.
