We all need coffee in the morning. After hitting the snooze button three time (on the weekends) the first thing I go for a cup of morning joe. As necessary as that cup is - one should be very conscious of the consequences of that daily grind.

Studies have shown that habitual coffee drinking often means having to invest your time and money in teeth whitening later - due to the unmistaken staining properties of the humble coffee bean. That's to say nothing of what your teeth suffer from it's acidic properties.

So to drink or not to drink?

As one Brazilian study has shown, the polyphenols present in coffee are actually responsible for combatting dental plaque due to its antibacterial effect.

And that's not all!

While your resting metabolic heart rate may increase by 3-11%, a daily coffee habit may reduce the risk of Type II diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, heart disease, dementia, various cancers, and stroke. 

As we all know, the human is a holistic organism and one negative can effect a positive somewhere in the body. The relationship between periodontitis and these comorbidities is starting to brew new theories on the benefits of coffee.

The biggest finding by the American Cancer Society found that people drinking four or more cups of coffee per day were surprisingly 49% less likely to die from oral cancer than non-coffee drinkers.

And coffee is not alone in it's cost / benefit analysis. Tooth discoloration can be caused also by ingesting tea, wine, and nicotine. And that's where dentists (Me) come in. Teeth whitening can help with most of the types of darkening and discoloration produced from inhaling these compounds - and reaping all the rewards (cancer free, strokeless, memory intact, sweet tooths).

So drink away!

And come to me to get your teeth cleaned afterwards!