It is hard to believe that coffee is now a recreational drink. Maybe it is because it is cool to be seen in a coffee parlor that provide workaholics with their daily buzz. Perhaps due to the round-the-clock jobs. We may have different reasons for drinking coffee, though we can't deny the negative effects. It is not good for the heart, it makes us go to the bathroom frequently and it spoils our teeth by discoloration. And not brushing means we will probably end up with halitosis, which basically is a fancy word that means you have bad breath.

Combining your coffee drinking with cigarettes is really bad for your teeth. Indeed, this is the main cause of teeth discoloration, particularly among young people. You also get kids who drink too much soda, which can stain your teeth as well. The older you are the more likely you teeth will discolor. You may also have it in your genes.

You should also avoid chewing tobacco because it is widely known to make your teeth stain. The teeth enamel is affected most because of the tar from the tobacco and turns our teeth so dark that it looks as if we've eaten coal. These days, we are more aware of tobacco-related problems and more people have had enough.

Now, what about those sodas? I'm sure you heard of this. You place a tooth in a glass of soda, cola or other carbonated liquid. The carbonated drink will eat away at the tooth very quickly. If you ask me, I don't think for a minute that we'll all be able to stop drinking the non-alcoholic sparklies. We can try to minimize the damage by drinking out of a straw. By doing that, we can bypass the teeth and stop the soda from staining. The only problem is that I can't use them with drinks that are hot. I won't try it with my green tea and coffee.

Anyway, sometimes staining cannot be avoided. If you have ugly stains that you always try to hide, don't panic. I can help you rid yourself of the stains. Just make a visit to my Downtown Vancouver dentist office and let me check you out. I'll be able to let you know if we can get away with just cleaning your teeth or if we need to take them out…

Hah! Fooled you! Actually, I want to let you know that there is the possibility of having Downtown Vancouver dental veneers. I highly recommend veneers because they are tough and durable, won't harm your teeth and they won't discolor. Now that's a great package!