{"id":70,"date":"2019-10-10T22:14:06","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T22:14:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dentaldynamics.net\/blog\/?p=70"},"modified":"2019-10-21T22:30:22","modified_gmt":"2019-10-21T22:30:22","slug":"hot-drinks-bad-your-teeth-dentist-investigates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dentaldynamics.net\/blog\/2019\/10\/10\/hot-drinks-bad-your-teeth-dentist-investigates\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Hot Drinks Bad for Your Teeth? A Dentist Investigates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Pumpkin<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The leaves are turning colors, so you know what that means: it’s pumpkin spice latte season! This trendy drink is back on the menu at both national chain coffee shops and even some local mom and pop cafes. Like most coffee beverages, the fall season’s hottest drink is, quite literally, hot! While hot drinks are great for keeping you warm during the brisk autumn months, they can affect your teeth differently than water or other cool beverages. In today’s blog, your dentist examines how hot drinks affect teeth and what steps you can take this fall to maintain a healthy smile in between dental checkups<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Hot Drinks Affect Tooth Color<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whether you brew your own pot of coffee at home in the morning or buy a cup to go on your way to work, habitually drinking coffee over long periods of time can cause your teeth to become discolored. That is because coffee contains naturally-occurring compounds called \u201ctannins\u201d, which can build up on the microscopic pits and ridges of enamel and cause staining. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hot teas can also stain your teeth, depending on how rich they are in tannins. Drinking black tea often is more likely to stain your teeth, while green tea and herbal teas are less likely to have a discoloring effect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Danger of Hidden Sugar \n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many fancy hot coffee drinks these days are loaded with sugar, which can contribute to tooth decay. For example, according to one newspaper report, a medium pumpkin spice latte from a national chain contains 50 grams of sugar. That is the federal Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommended sugar intake for an entire day \u2013 in a single beverage! Perhaps slightly less surprisingly, hot chocolate is another warm drink that contains high levels of sugar and should be consumed infrequently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for a Healthy Smile \n<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At this point, you may be wondering: \u201care hot drinks so bad for my teeth that I should give them up entirely?\u201d. However, you can rest easy! Here are a few tips you can follow to maintain a healthy smile while enjoying hot drinks this fall and winter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n