To ask if drinking coffee through a straw really helps to avoid staining your teeth?

[hellokittymania]

I don't really understand how this can be. A few people have told me that they drink coffee through a straw in order to avoid staining their teeth. I just tried it, as I have terrible teeth anyway. But does this really work?

I don't know, but plastic straws are wasteful and terrible for the environment.

I imagine it would help a little as it would stop the drink from pooling around your teeth as much. Probably not completely but better.

I can't imagine sipping a hot drink through a straw though .

Brit you get metal straws for coffee! Only know as a colleague has one and swears by it for all non-clear drinks!!

Hot coffee?

Yes it does help because it will minimise your teeth exposure to coffee. I am a coffee drinker and would rather enjoy a cup of two a day than drink it through a straw though. However, this is also true of diet coke and the likes. The acid erodes your teeth so a straw helps minimise exposure. A friend of mine drinks red win through a straw

• red wine

I have always used them for Diet Coke on the advice of a dentist - years and years of a terrible Coke habit and I don't have a single filling and my teeth are pretty white. So I would say it works. But you have to position the straw behind your teeth as otherwise the drink just washes over them anyway!

I have braces and that's what I've been told to do to reduce the contact with hot drinks.

Stupid question, but won't the metal straw heat up and burn your lips?

Don't see how it would help with fillings as unless the straw goes right to the back of your mouth surely it's only the front of your teeth that are spared the coffee?

Not sure about the straw but I swear by lush's toothy tabs for cleaning up teeth, especially the atomic ones if you can handle the taste of cloves. Got rid of stains I'd had for years in the space of week.

Yes Ox it does get really hot so she has to leave hot drinks to cool down first, I couldn't be bothered with all the faff

I had my teeth whitened and ever since then have used a straw for tea and coffee. Had my wisdom teeth out last month and couldn't use one. I'm convinced my front teeth got a bit stained from drinking the normal way and I had to get out the white strips! Could have been my imagination though

Am drinking my coffee through a straw right now. Have whitened them and don't want to undo all the good work

I do. Dentist told me too when I went to get my teeth whitened. I use reusable straws. Coffee, coke and wine habit.