One simple habit that made my morning coffee even better

Flossing: One Simple Habit That Made My Morning Coffee Even Better

As I sit here, staring at the blank document, contemplating on how to proceed with my tasks, all I can think is I need coffee to start my day. If you, like me, are one of the billions who identify themselves with “if it weren't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever”, your dental health is in for bad news.

Why? Coffee contains tannin that cause color compounds to stick to your teeth leaving dull yellowish stains behind. Also, like any other drink that isn’t water, coffee causes bacteria to grow in the mouth leading to enamel erosion. As much as I love coffee, I would hate to compromise my pearly smile. Wouldn’t you?So after a lot of trials and errors and just one little change in my daily routine, I have finally found the perfect solution without having to give up my morning cup of coffee.

The Solution: Flossing

When the revelation hit me, I started by replacing my regular toothpaste with dentist approved teeth whitening toothpastes and stripes on regular basis. This helped a bit. But the one thing that truly made an impact was flossing. I started flossing every day; some days even after a particularly strong cup of black coffee.

However, the one problem that I had with string flosser was how cumbersome it was to clean the molars, especially the extreme corners. How do you reach there without some unusual hand movements? Not to mentions the bleeding caused due to increased pressure. So I researched and with recommendations and reviews from users and approval of my dentist started using a water flosser. I have to admit, what an improvement it has been over the string flosser. It is easier to use, reaches farthest corners without any problem and much gentler on the gums. Though it is difficult to carry, there are some good portable flossers in the market. The one I use is Oracura Wireless Water Flosser. It is bulkier than compact string flossers but completely worth the effort. Oracura is the one I would recommend but you may try other brands as well.

Other Ways

Of course there are many other ways you can try to reduce coffee stains. For a start, by cutting down the number of coffee breaks. Your employer, particularly, would be much happier. However, if that’s not an option try drinking a glass of water right after your cup to rinse off the residual coffee.

For a while, I had also tried mouthwash like Listerine, which worked. Even eating raw fruits and vegetables that contain natural fibres keep teeth clean by breaking down bacteria.

Regular dentist appointments, oil pulling, baking soda treatment, etc are other ways to retain your healthy smile. There are many things one can do to maintain good dental health but the one thing it all drills down to is ‘habit’. Making just a simple change in your daily routine, inculcating a new habit makes all the difference. It certainly did for me. Remember, it’s better latte than never. ;)