Coffee & Donuts: A Bad Duo?
Coffee And Doughnuts: Is It A Bad Duo?
You barely slept last night.
Perhaps, you had to pull an all-nighter to study for a quiz you’re about to take later in the day. Or maybe, you’re a parent and you had to stay up all night long taking care of your baby.
And this morning, you had to frantically get yourself ready for work or school that you skipped breakfast altogether.
On the way to the office or school, you pass by the doughnut shop and grab a cup of coffee and a couple of doughnuts to help power yourself up for the tough day ahead.
Normally, you would eat something heartier and healthier, but with so little time to spare for a proper breakfast, you had to make do with this sugary combo.
You think to yourself, “This will do.”
Of course, enjoying treats like these from time to time won’t pose much damage to your teeth and overall health. But what if these treats become your morning staples? Should you be concerned? Coffee and doughnuts: Is it a bad duo?
Separately, regular consumption of coffee and doughnuts can lead to long-term damage to your teeth and gums. As a combo, this duo poses even more problems for your oral health.
First, doughnuts. Doughnuts are loaded with sugar which can increase your risks for developing both cavities and gum inflammation. Compared to other breakfast staples, doughnuts contain as much as five times more sugar.
Like doughnuts, some coffee blends also contain a high volume of sugars that can harm your teeth and gums. But apart from that, coffee also contain tannins which can cause staining in teeth. Worse, you cannot just remove these compounds through brushing and rinsing because tannins have a tendency to stick to the teeth’s surface.
Drinking coffee also facilitates the introduction of more bacteria in your mouth. These microorganisms, in turn, produce harmful chemicals which damage your teeth’s enamel.
Is there a way to enjoy doughnuts and coffee while minimizing their bad side effects?
If you have no other recourse but to have these sugary treats for breakfast, consume these as quickly as you possibly can. Instead of nursing your coffee or a piece of doughnut through the morning, finish your food and drink ASAP.
Doing this ensures that the sugars in the doughnuts and coffee do minimal damage to your teeth and gums.
Once you are through with your breakfast, make sure that you brush your teeth, or at the very least, rinse your mouth if brushing is not possible.
If possible, avoid putting extra sugar and cream into your coffee as these can compound the risks posed by coffee on your teeth and gums.
Finally, do not make it a habit to eat doughnuts and drink coffee every morning. There are plenty of healthier breakfast alternatives which can bring you more energy and cause less harm to your oral health.
For more tips about nutrition and proper dental hygiene give us a call or contact our office for an appointment with Dr. Kacos.
