Many people cannot make it through a morning without their coffee fix. While a jolt of caffeine may help start the work day, regular consumption of coffee, lattes and other bean-based products can lead to tooth staining. Instead of letting your teeth look like the bottom of a mug, professional cosmetic dentistry can help make your teeth look pearly white again. When choosing teeth whitening, there are many options for your mouth. As it relates to coffee, there are a number of different aspects to consider. By using this guide, you can find the best method for your teeth and be knowledgeable as you head into your cosmetic dentist appointment.

Quick Fix

Just like the quick fix of energy that coffee can give you, you can receive a quick whitening treatment. Using a mixture of bleach and lasers, cosmetic dentists can provide a temporary whitening solution to your mouth for special occasions. This type of whitening contains more powerful bleaching solutions than typical kits sold in stores. For example, if you are attending a wedding, birthday party or other formal event, the whitening treatment can help you feel more confident with your smile.

A quick whitening treatment is also ideal for a job interview. When you're in an intimate one on one setting, even slight coffee stains may be noticeable by another person. A quick whitening treatment will help remove these stains and showcase a healthy smile.

Mouth Conditions

A whitening treatment is primarily designed to treat natural teeth. The coffee that you drink can have a large difference on other aspects in your mouth. For example, white fillings and veneers may stain darker than regular teeth. A typical whitening process may not work with these sections of your mouth. This is why it's important to bring up these aspects to a dentist. To help remove stains from fillings, a dentist may replace the filling or apply a different solution to it. It all depends on how deep the coffee stains are. During a consultation, a dentist can discuss these options with you.

Cold Turkey Coffee

For more invasive treatments, you will likely visit the dentist two or three times over a monthly period. This helps evenly apply the whitening and will slowly eliminate all of the stains. If possible, you want to remove the triggers that caused the stains in the first place. If possible, during this period, you should quit drinking coffee. Coffee and other products can hinder the whitening process and eventually cause you to return sooner than needed.

To help cut out the coffee, try switching to various clear forms of energy drinks that will not cause staining to the teeth. This can help give you a caffeine boost as you wean off the coffee.

The Life-Long Drinker

If you've been drinking coffee for more than 10 years, then there are likely deep stains on both sides of your teeth. The best way to help remove these stains is with chair side whitening appointments. Instead of a general whitening procedure, your dentist caters the process to your mouth. During the first appointment, a mold or impression of your mouth will be made. This custom mold will help remove stains on all of your teeth. It helps ensure that the bleach covers each tooth and the whole tooth.

For your next appointment, you will wear the mold with the whitening treatment. The dentist may perform additional oral exams to ensure that the whitening process covered all sections of your teeth. Additional treatments may be applied to specific teeth with deeper stains.

Lunch Break Whitening

If you're an all-day coffee drinker, your dentist may offer you at home treatments. Instead of visiting the dentist appointment for each whitening treatment, you may bring your mold home for treatments on your own time. This allows you to get whitening at your convenience. Dentists will offer specific instructions so you can properly apply the whitening treatment. This will help you get whiter teeth any time of the day. For example, if you drink coffee in the afternoon, an early evening treatment will help give you white teeth for any nighttime activities.

With some proper planning, you can enjoy the best of both worlds as you get to enjoy your fresh cup of coffee and a white smile to go along with it.