If you like sipping your favorite beverage with a straw, we have some good news for you. A little known benefit of straws is that it can actually help your drink of choice such as a coffee, tea, or carbonated drink from staining your teeth, let’s explore how.
Straws Can Protect Your Teeth
- They Reduce Contact With Teeth
Straws, if used correctly, can help your teeth by having the liquid you are drinking avoid contact with the front of your teeth, so your enamel is protected as dark colored liquids such as coffees and teas will not stain your teeth over time. - Protecting Enamel
Many of our daily beverages are acidic enough to impact our dental health, the acidity of common beverages like coffee and wine can disintegrate essential enamel and therefore, make our teeth more prone to staining. Using a straw can help by lessening the contact that these acids have with our teeth so it can protect your enamel. - Good for Saliva Production
Drinking through a straw has another benefit for your oral health, it helps you produce more saliva. This is beneficial as the main source of protection in the mouth is saliva, it neutralizes acids, as well as washes out debris from food that we eat. - Easier on Sensitive Teeth
If you are prone to feelings of sharp pain, sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures, it means you need to see a dentist. Straws can help manage this condition meanwhile
Straws May Not Always Help
Straws can be good news for your teeth if used properly, however, they should not be mistaken for a fix-all when it comes to your dental health. They can also have an adverse impact if exclusively relied on to manage oral health issues.
- Back Teeth Staining
The main downside of straws is that they can cause your back teeth to stain, and many avoid staining in the front teeth however are unable to avoid back teeth and the backs of the front teeth from staining, so using a straw which is bent and properly positioned is the best bet to avoid staining as much as possible. - It’s A Preventative Measure
Using straws can minimize the likelihood of getting stained teeth in the future, however, straws can do nothing to help existing discoloration and if your teeth are already stained, then it’s recommended to get help through professional dental whitening treatments. - Practicing Moderation
Beverages with staining qualities will stain over time regardless of straw use without proper dental care and interventions, it’s important to take further steps such as rinsing out the mouth with water in order to get rid of as much of the acid, tint and sugars to protect dental health.
Takeaway
Straws have other benefits such as being great for boosting your daily hydration, they are hygienic and more accessible than a simple glass, it’s no wonder the use of straws is becoming widely more popular. Straws are a great way to improve the probability of your teeth staying pearly white, it can be an additional boost to your daily dental care and protection routine.
However, straws can’t actively whiten your teeth, it’s important to use proper oral hygiene practices and see a professional who can address your teeth whitening concerns. Our skilled dentists at Smile4Ever Family Dentistry would be happy to help you achieve your teeth whitening goals and more, book your consultation through a call at our clinic – Jester Blvd (281) 213-5668 or Westheimer Rd #130 (832) 844-2266 now.