If you’re anything like us, your smile is of the utmost importance to you. However, if you are also a coffee and tea drinker, you may feel that the stubborn stains that these beverages can cause might be detracting from your winning smile.
Some people give up these beverages in order to prevent stains, and some deal with discolored teeth, and neither group realizes that this doesn’t have to be their reality. There are ways to remove the stains from your teeth and restore your mouth to its former glory—it just takes some patience and a little bit of research.
To help you out, we have put together this handy guide that gives you multiple ways to remove the coffee and tea stains from your teeth. From DIY at-home treatment to professional solutions, we have covered it all so that you can make the best decision on which option is right for you.
Let’s get into it!
Home Remedies
Whether you’re on a budget or prefer to do things yourself, there are many home remedies you can try to remove coffee and tea stains from your teeth. These are all relatively inexpensive and easy to perform. However, make sure to perform them carefully and follow all specified instructions.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a fantastic and cheap way to fight coffee and tea stains on your teeth. It works as a mild abrasive to remove the layer of stain from the surface of your tooth, revealing a pearly white smile underneath.
To use this method, simply mix baking soda with a little bit of water until it forms a paste. Then, gently apply this to your teeth using a toothbrush for 1-2 minutes.
To remove coffee stains, you can use a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda. Combine equal parts of both ingredients to make a paste. Brush your teeth with the paste for about a minute, but be careful not to overdo it as the acidic nature of the mixture can harm your enamel.
Rinse your mouth thoroughly after using the paste and then proceed with your regular toothpaste. While this method can effectively and affordably remove surface stains, it's important to note that using it too frequently can lead to enamel erosion.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is commonly used as bleach, so it makes sense that it can be used to remove coffee and tea stains from teeth.
To whiten teeth, dilute your hydrogen peroxide to a 3% solution (this step is extremely important) and swish it in your mouth for one minute.
Split the solution out, and then thoroughly rinse out your mouth with water to ensure that no residual solution remains.
A comparative study published in 2012 stated that stains from coffee or cigarette smoke might be effectively removed with at-home bleaching solutions containing six percent hydrogen peroxide. On the other hand, regular coffee consumption over time may make enamel more susceptible to stains.
Activated Charcoal
Another popular at-home stain removal treatment is activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is a porous substance, and some claim that it absorbs stains, including those caused by tea and coffee.
However, this treatment should be used with caution, as there are concerns that it is too abrasive to be used on teeth and can ultimately create more harm than good.
Coconut Oil Pulling
Coconut oil pulling is a highly popular, but largely unsubstantiated way to remove tea and coffee stains from your teeth.
While there isn’t any clinical evidence to back up these claims, anecdotal evidence suggests that it might be a good at-home solution for teeth whitening.
Simply take a small amount of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it around for several minutes before spitting it out. Do this every day to see results.
Over-the-Counter Products
If you want a whitening solution that is more powerful than at-home treatments but also won’t break the bank, you may be interested in some of these “over-the-counter” products.
Whitening Toothpaste
Whitening toothpaste is one of the most convenient ways to fight stains at home. Toothpaste containing ingredients like baking soda dissolves surface stains, coconut oil gradually brightens and moisturizes, n-Ha increases tooth transparency and maximizes smoothness for ultimate stain removal.
They also act as a mild abrasive to manually remove stains from the surface of the tooth. However, this process happens gradually, so it does take some patience.
Our n-Ha whitening toothpaste is a great option if you are looking for a stain removal solution that is easy and convenient.
Whitening Strips
A step up from whitening toothpaste is whitening strips. These are strips that contain a more concentrated bleaching agent and are placed onto the teeth for a short period to whiten them.
While they are a popular stain removal solution, there is a potential for them to cause temporary sensitivity, which can be inconvenient and uncomfortable.
We are working to transform whitening strips and avoid users experiencing tooth sensitivity after use by exploring the use of PAP and nano-hydroxyapatite. You can check out the Boka whitening strips here.
Teeth Whitening Kits
If you want to go all out and use everything possible to fight coffee and tea stains once and for all, then you may want to use a teeth whitening kit.
These kits are made up of a bleaching agent that is applied to the teeth, and an LED light that is used to activate the bleach.
The bleaching agents found in these kits can vary. However, we use Phthalimido-Peroxy-Caproic Acid (PAP) and n-HA in conjunction with a blue LED light to whiten and brighten smiles.
Whitening Rinses
Another popular way to remove coffee and tea stains from your teeth is by using a whitening rinse.
These rinses are mouthwash with a low level of bleaching agent to slowly remove stains over time.
While they might be convenient and quick to use, the downside is that it takes a long time for any sort of results to show.
Professional Treatments
Finally, if you want to leave it to the professionals and truly banish stains on your teeth, your best option is to go for a professional treatment.
These treatments cannot be performed at home as they use chemicals or techniques that require a lot of skill or training, however, they yield fantastic results.
Dental Cleaning
Sometimes, all your teeth need is a really good clean. While we might try our best to clean our teeth at home, nothing will compare to a proper dental clean.
During these cleans, your dentist can remove tough stains and hardened plaque that may be causing discoloration.
It is nearly impossible to remove these yourself at home, so you will certainly notice a difference once you have your teeth professionally cleaned.
In-office Whitening
If you want fast and dramatic teeth whitening results, then you should opt for in-office whitening.
This is a professional teeth whitening service performed by a dentist that uses strong bleaching gels that aren’t available to the general population.
The results from these treatments are fantastic and are sure to make a major difference when it comes to removing or reducing coffee and tea stains from your teeth.
Prevention is Key
While there are many tips and techniques to help you remove stains from your teeth, the number one piece of advice we can give you is to prevent the stains from occurring in the first place.
Here are our top tips to help reduce and prevent coffee and tea staining on your teeth.
- Drink through a straw: Drinking through a straw is a great technique to prevent your tea or coffee from staining your teeth. It works by minimizing how much contact the beverages have with your teeth, thus preventing staining.
- Rinse with water afterward: Rinsing your mouth with water after consuming tea or coffee is another great way to reduce stains. Doing this will neutralize the staining compounds of the beverages and help to prevent any discoloration from occurring.
- Add milk: If you drink your tea or coffee black, you might want to reconsider if you’re looking to prevent your teeth from being stained. Adding milk to your favorite beverage can help prevent staining, as the casein in milk binds to the tannins in tea and coffee (which are what causes the staining).
- Brush and floss regularly: Regular brushing and flossing of the teeth is the ultimate way to ensure good oral health, and it can also help to prevent staining from forming on the teeth. This is because it removes plaque from your mouth, and it is plaque that builds up and absorbs the stains. Removing this will mean there isn’t anything to absorb the stains in the first place.
Dental expert Dr. Anjum Chaudhary, BDS, MDS, advises that “After consuming tea, coffee, wine, or soda, it's important to rinse your mouth with water and consider adding a small amount of cream or milk.
Compounds in dairy products can help reduce acids that may damage tooth enamel and lightening your drink can minimize staining. Plaque is a significant contributor to tooth discoloration, so it's essential to floss and brush daily.
It's important to be careful, as damaging your enamel or gums can lead to sensitivity and cavities. The most effective way to whiten your teeth is to prevent stains from forming, maintain excellent oral hygiene, and have regular dental checkups.”
Final Thoughts
There are many ways you can remove coffee and tea stains from your teeth, ranging from at home, over-the-counter, and professional solutions.
While each method may differ greatly, they all are alike in the fact that they must be performed with consistency.
Even small actions like paying more attention to how you brush your teeth can add up and create great results!
If you want to brighten your smile and say goodbye to coffee and tea stains for good, check out our whitening collection and join the Baka tribe today!