I never understood coffee.
For years, I tried. Different beans. Different cafés. Friends told me I just hadn’t found the right cup. Patients swore it was their lifeline. And I wanted to see what they saw.
But every sip tasted the same to me—burnt, bitter, hollow.
Then, while in Verona with my wife Roseann for our 40th anniversary, something happened.
I had a sip of her coffee, on a lark. That sip led to a “Ratatouille”moment of flavor.
The taste was smooth, the balance precise, the flavor alive. After my entire adult life of being staunchly “not a coffee drinker,”I finally understood.
It’s a fun reminder that even after decades, life can surprise you.
But every ritual leaves its mark. Coffee is no exception. It stains enamel. It lingers on breath. It shifts the balance of bacteria in ways that echo through the rest of the body.
That’s what you’ll learn in today’s newsletter: to help you protect your teeth—without giving up the ritual of coffee.
What Happens With That First Sip
Coffee is acidic. It lowers the pH in your mouth, softens enamel for half an hour or more, and reduces saliva flow. Every sip coats your teeth and tongue in tannins—the compounds that stain. Add milk and it gets worse. Proteins in milk bind to tannins, making stains stick even harder.
And straws? They don’t work. Coffee doesn’t shoot straight past your teeth when you use a straw. It swirls, it mixes with saliva, and it bathes your whole mouth. You can’t dodge that with a straw, so unfortunately, the old straw “trick”is a myth.
My Coffee Must-Haves
When I started drinking coffee, I set rules for myself. They’re the same ones I gave my patients:
- Rehydrate with electrolytes. Coffee dehydrates. Saliva is your natural defense. Electrolytes (link to my favorite ones) bring saliva back and protect enamel.
- Brush before, not after. Overnight, biofilm builds up. Coffee clings to it. Brushing first reduces stains. Brushing after? That’s when enamel is weakest. You scrape away what protects your teeth.
- Use a tongue scraper. Morning breath comes from your tongue, not your teeth. A few scrapes take care of it.
- Drink water with your coffee. It rinses acids and tannins. Small effort, big effect.
- Wait before brushing again. At least 45 minutes. Rinse first. Let enamel recover.
- Change your toothbrush head often. Every 4–6 weeks. Worn bristles turn sharp and rough on enamel and gums.
- Switch drinks later in the day. After noon, I move to iced green tea. Gentler on teeth, rich in antioxidants. When I don’t want stains at all, I drink rooibos (this one)—fewer tannins, no discoloration.
- Use hydroxyapatite toothpaste. It repairs and strengthens enamel while making stains less likely.
My Coffee “Nevers”
- Never drink non-organic. It’s one of the most polluted crops out there.
- Never take it with sugar.
- Never sip it all day.
- Never ignore how it affects your sleep (tracking important with this one—using a device like an Oura ring, you can titrate and figure out what time of day is your “cut off”point.)
You don’t have to give up coffee—you just have to be smart about how you drink it.
Do you take yours black, or with milk? Have you noticed what it does to your teeth? Reply and tell me.
– Dr. Mark Burhenne
P.S. Did you get the Ratatouille reference? One of my favorite movies of all time!
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