About 83% of American adults drink coffee, although just over half (54%) drink it every day. Since, on average, we consume about three cups a day, that means that those of us who do drink it every day are probably consuming a lot more to make up for those occasional drinkers.
Unfortunately, that means that we have to deal with the effects of drinking so much coffee on our smiles. In truth, coffee itself is fairly healthy for your teeth and gums, but added sugar can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. And of course, there’s the dreaded coffee stains. But with a new invention, you may be able to enjoy your daily cuppa without relying on teeth whitening to hide the effects.
Real Brew, Real Beans, No Stains
The miraculous new clear coffee is called CLR CFF. (Branding pro tip: if you can’t come up with a cool name for your product, try just taking out the vowels and use all caps. Watch what it does to our practice name: RCHSTR DVNCD DNTSTRY. Tres chic, no?) The inventors were a couple of brothers who loved their coffee but didn’t love what it was doing to their teeth. So they decided to try to do what no one had done before: process real roasted Arabica beans so that they retained the flavor and caffeine, but removed the color.
After three months of intense work, they succeeded. (Apparently, they’re better at processing than branding.) Exactly how the process works is a closely guarded secret, but they do say that it’s entirely a mechanical process, with no chemicals. It may initially seem impossible, but a lot of the color in coffee comes from suspended and dissolved solids. Removing them could remove much of the color, although it would probably remove much of the mouthfeel (and possibly taste) we associate with coffee.
However, the inventors and some of the people who have tried this miracle claim it tastes like coffee. But it doesn’t include any sweeteners or other additives, so it’s probably better option for people who like their coffee “black.”
CLR CFF is also kind of expensive, running about $7.75 for 13.5 ounces, nearly five times as much as a Starbucks freshly brewed coffee–more once you add in shipping. That’s right, for now CLR CFF is only for sale in the UK, although you can buy it online.
While You’re Waiting for CLR CFF
So what do you do now if you don’t want to shell out the steep premium for clear coffee? You’ve got options. First, dare we say, you can cut down on the java. Moderation in everything, right? Fewer cups a day will lead to less staining.
You can also add milk to your coffee. This not only dilutes the staining molecules, it neutralizes the acid so that the stains can’t penetrate your enamel as well.
But if your teeth are already stained with coffee, the good news is that whitening can typically remove the stains. Teeth whitening is especially effective on coffee stains’]. If KöR teeth whitening can’t lighten your teeth, it’s probably not just staining that’s the problem. We can talk about porcelain veneers or other options for whitening your teeth.
If you want to learn more about teeth whitening options in the Detroit area, please call (248) 656-2020 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Rochester Advanced Dentistry.
