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Humans have a total of 32 permanent teeth that is one pair each of upper and lower central incisors, lateral incisors, canines, first bicuspids, second bicuspids, first molars, second molars, and third molars also known as wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth vary from one individual to another that is —not everyone gets all four wisdom teeth in their lifetime, and some people do not get any wisdom teeth at all.

Our teeth are the hardest substance in our body. They help us in chewing our food and also in speech. Let us have a look at parts of the teeth:

• Enamel: enamel is the hardest and white outer part of our tooth. Our tooth enamel is essentially made of calcium phosphate.
• Pulp: Pulp is the softer and living inner structure of teeth, containing blood vessels and nerves that run through the pulp of the teeth.
• Dentin: A layer lying underneath the enamel. It is a very hard tissue, containing microscopic tubes. When our enamel is damaged, our tooth becomes sensitive and we feel pain, heat and cold directly on our teeth.
• Cementum: This layer of connective tissue, binds the roots of the teeth tightly to the gums and jawbone.
• Periodontal ligament: This tissue helps hold the teeth tightly against the jaw.

A normal adult mouth has a total of 32 teeth. The crown of each teeth is visible in our mouth. The root of each tooth in present inside the jaw. The human tooth functions to voluntarily break down items of food by cutting and crushing them down to make it digestible.

Does caffeine damage our teeth?

While caffeine isn’t bad for us, too much consumption of caffeine can damage our teeth as well as our body. Mainly tea, coffee and soda are the main elements that damage our teeth. But if we are careful enough then it might not harm our teeth. Coffee is beneficial in many cases.

Coffee consumption can keep away liver diseases and most importantly cirrhosis of liver. It can also reduce fibrosis in the liver along with scar tissue formation. Excessive coffee consumption can also make our mouth acidic, causing bad breath, and acidity in the stomach. Excessive stomach acid may cause harm to the esophagus or food pipe, causing permanent damage. There are some steps that can be followed to reduce the harmful effects of caffeine:

• Using whitening toothpaste.
• Drinking through straw to reduce direct contact with teeth.
• Practice proper oral hygiene
• Wash your mouth immediately after drinking.

Having a bite of cheese after drinking coffee can also lessen the effects of caffeine on teeth. Cutting out on sugar and milk in coffee can also help reduce the effects of caffeine on teeth.

A cup of coffee early in the morning is a great way to start our day, and there’s no reason why we should avoid coffee if you have a great oral health. But if your tooth is suffering decay or loss of enamel, cutting on coffee intake might help in further worsening of situation. But for people who are coffee addicts, it might be very difficult.

The remedy is to consume coffee at the same time taking precautionary measures. Rinsing your mouth immediately after consuming food and drinks can help reduce damage. Brushing multiple times can also help in removing all food and drink particles off your mouth. One thing you must remember is that coffee is highly acidic in nature. Drinks and food with high acidic content can welcome bacteria and plaque and cause cavities. Consuming coffee is alright but must be done with precautions so that we can consume it well throughout our lives.

How much caffeine is considered too much?

Caffeine in moderate amounts are considered safe to consume, but consuming large amount of drinks and foods containing caffeine can cause damage to your teeth. It is well known that the amount of caffeine you consume can directly affect the health and appearance of your teeth. Knowing this can help you restrict your caffeine intake and how much you consume each day. Consuming caffeine at intervals for the entire day is considered way too much, and must be avoided at all cost.

Staining

Drinks containing caffeine leave sticky stains behind on our teeth, which are difficult to get rid of and makes our teeth appear dirty. Cutting down on the amount of caffeine can certainly help with preventing your teeth from further staining. But often cutting down is not an easy and viable option. For people who are coffee addicts, cutting down totally on coffee can impact their health and work. For them prevention and taking alternatives such as caffeine supplements etc. can help.

Enamel Damage

The enamel on your teeth is the hard substance that helps in keeping your teeth strong and healthy. As you consume sweets and beverages, your teeth is getting exposed to acidic contents and becoming more and more vulnerable to damage and disease. Caffeinated beverages always are rich in sugar and acid content.

Certain sweet drinks are known to contribute to eroding our teeth enamel or cause dental erosion, just because of their high sugar content. Consuming caffeine safely can help avoid cavities and dental disease.

How coffee is beneficial

Coffee is a much craved for drink worldwide. Irrespective of its effect on teeth, people have not stopped consuming coffee, rather with the upcoming café culture amongst the younger sections, its consumption is seen to increase day by day. Apart from drink it is now widely used in cake and cookies, because of the flavor and taste it offers. But since anything consumed beyond limit is harmful, the same applies for coffee as well. Although consuming coffee has its own benefits but too much consumption has its own hazards.

To get its benefits, people have switched from milk coffee to espresso or black coffee without sugar. Black coffee does not have milk and sugar and hence good for our oral health. Although it can also stain our teeth, but since it is not washed by unnecessary sugar content, it is relatively less harmful.

Let us have a look at some of the key benefits of coffee:

• Boosts energy levels: Coffee as we all know, contains caffeine, a stimulant of the central nervous system, known for its ability to fight fatigue and increase energy levels. Caffeine blocks the receptors of a neurotransmitter called adenosine, and this further increases levels of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in your brain that are responsible to regulate your energy levels.
• Supports brain health: Although studies have shown up mixed results, research suggests that coffee may help in protecting against certain neurodegenerative disorders, which includes Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
• Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes: Some studies have suggested that consuming coffee and caffeine, regularly is associated with a decreased risk of developing diabetes in the long run.
• Reduces depression: Some studies have found that increased consumption of coffee lowers the risk of depression.
• Promotes weight management: coffee increases metabolism, which also helps in regulating our weight. Maintaining proper weight is very important so that we stay fit and active
• Supports heart health: Studies have supported that coffee acts a protector of heart, and protects against heart attacks, strokes and other heart diseases such as blocked arteries, palpitation etc. Heart is responsible to pump blood and ensure blood supply to our entire body. Supply of blood ensures supply of oxygen, to our body.

• Protects against liver condition: Coffee protects our liver and is helpful in maintaining long term liver health. It prevents the liver from diseases like cirrhosis of liver, fatty liver etc.Liver is a vital organ of our body. Maintaining liver health is very important for digestion. Our body gets its nutrients from food, which is consumed and absorbed by the body after digestion.

• Enhances athletic performance: Coffee increases energy levels. It contains ergogenic acid which is known as performance enhancer, and energy booster. Therefore before meeting coffee is served in many organizations, so as to provide the team members with energy, keeping away lethargy. During our childhood we were often served coffee before exams to wipe away laziness and activate our mind.
• Increases longevity:

Coffee could help extend longevity, thanks to its multitude of potential health benefits. Research has suggested that people who drink coffee have a longer life. More than having a longer life, having a healthier life is essential. Since coffee keeps our heart and liver healthy, it can be assumed that along with longevity health will also be ensured.

Teeth whitening

There are numerous teeth whitening products available in the market, including whitening toothpastes, whitening gels, strips, trays, rinses, and other whitening products available in drug stores and also suggested by a dentist. Using homely remedies can also ensure teeth whitening such as using baking soda and water and rubbing it on teeth can also ensure fresh and clean teeth.

Teeth whitening is appropriate for people having unhealthy, unrestored teeth and gums. Individuals with yellow, brown and reddish tones on their teeth respond best. However, dentists do not suggest or recommend this cosmetic procedure for everyone.

White and bright teeth are always in demand and looks fresh and clean. Although teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure, still people take the risk of tooth whitening to brighten their face and feel confident. Whitening may also be done at home, but you must consult your dentist first before applying this. If your dentist allows you to do it at home, you can easily do it at home.

All toothpaste remove surface stains, because they contain abrasives. Some toothpaste contain gentle polishing agents that automatically helps remove stains and does not let any stain stick to our tooth. However naturally maintaining your teeth is more useful than going for any cosmetic procedure, as cosmetic procedures comes with their own set of complications.  Just a little bit of more care can ensure that you are at your health’s best.

It is interesting to know that one cup coffee each day is enough for staining our teeth and making it reddish. However hard stains are caused by years and years of unruly consumption of coffee without limits. Not only coffee, consuming black tea also leads to teeth staining. Some people have the habit of consuming both tea and coffee. Tea is equally responsible for teeth staining. Along with both the above smoking and tobacco also leads to tooth staining. Tobacco causes tooth staining yet faster than tea and coffee. Tobacco stains are often irremovable. It also leads to tooth decay and even blackens the gums of the mouth.

Tooth stains are caused due to excessive acid in the stomach. Excessive acid in the stomach may also destroy our tooth lining. So teeth whitening is not only done for coffee staining on teeth, but also due to lot of other factors, and conditions.

Hence in order to maintain that perfect smile of yours you need to follow the common dental routine that includes brushing twice a day and flossing regularly can help in maintaining the radiance of your smile all day long.