Can Coffee Stain My Veneers?

Habitual coffee drinkers are well aware of its ability to leave stains behind on their teeth. The dark pigments in coffee settle easily into enamel, discoloring it over time. However, if you recently got veneers, you might wonder if coffee will affect them in the same way. After all, covering coffee stains might be the very reason why you were fitted for veneers in the first place!

If you want to know a little bit more about drinking coffee with veneers, here’s a guide that can give you a little bit more information.

Will Coffee Stain My Veneers?

Most veneers are made out of porcelain, which is used both because of its durability and its resemblance to enamel. Porcelain isn’t very porous, so it’s naturally stain-resistant. That means that wine, tea, and yes, even coffee will not stain them to nearly the same extent as your natural teeth.

That said, veneers aren’t immune to discoloration. If you drink enough coffee for enough time, your veneers will start to brown. If you have a serious coffee habit, you should still be careful about leaving stains on your teeth.

Can I Whiten My Veneers?

While veneers won’t collect stains as quickly as your natural teeth, that comes with a significant drawback: once the stains have settled in, there isn’t anything you can do about them.

Professional whitening treatments and whitening toothpaste use hydrogen peroxide to peel away stains, which is incredibly effective on natural enamel. Veneers, however, can be damaged by these treatments. That means there isn’t any way to effectively whiten veneers once they’ve darkened; they’ll have to be replaced.

How to Stop Coffee from Staining Veneers

Given that there isn’t any way to whiten veneers, prevention is critically important. Here are a few ways you can still drink coffee without worrying as much about discoloration.

• Drink with a Straw: One of the best ways to prevent stains from building up is to reduce the amount of time the coffee spends in contact with your teeth. Drinking with a straw can help you do that.
• Pair with Water: A glass of water can wash the coffee out of your mouth, which means that stains will have less time to set in.
• Brush and Floss: Cleaning your teeth thoroughly not only washes the coffee out, but it also breaks up plaque deposits that the coffee might ordinarily cling to.

You chose the color of your veneers, so you probably want them to stay that shade for as long as possible. Veneers are more forgiving about stains than your natural teeth; with only minor upkeep, you can keep them the same color for years to come. 

About the Author

When Dr. Bradford Plasha shows up to work, he has one thing on his mind: providing top-notch care to every patient he sees. He prides himself on his ability to put his patients at ease, so much so that even his injections are completely painless. Dr. Plasha received his doctorate from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.

If you have any questions about maintaining your veneers, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (484) 559-6094.