Coffee And Tea Stains On Teeth: Why They Happen And What Helps

Yes, coffee and tea both stain teeth. Bupa says tea and coffee "contain tannins, which cause staining", and the American Dental Association lists both among the drinks behind extrinsic stain, the kind that builds up on the enamel. In a 2024 laboratory study on cow enamel samples, black tea stained the most of the drinks tested, and green tea and coffee had similar effects to each other. This guide covers why coffee stains on teeth and tea stains on teeth happen, which teas the evidence covers and which it does not, what named sources say about straws, milk, rinsing and timing, and how whitening fits if you drink coffee every day.

Why coffee and tea stain teeth

Bupa's page on teeth-staining foods is written by Caitlin Miller, Head of Dental Hygiene and Therapy at Bupa Dental Care, and dated 17 September 2025, with its next review due in September 2028. Among the causes it names are colour and tannin. On colour: "Chemical compounds called chromogens give certain foods and drinks their strong colour, and these compounds can stain your teeth." On tannin: "Foods and drinks containing a substance called tannin can also cause staining." It adds a rule of thumb of its own: "In general, if something could stain your clothes or your tongue, it’s likely to stain your teeth."

The ADA describes where that colour ends up. "Extrinsic stains commonly result from an accumulation of colored compounds on enamel", it says, and it names the consumption of "highly pigmented foods (e.g., dark fruits) or beverages (e.g., red wine, coffee, tea, or cola drinks)" among the causes. In the ADA's terms, then, coffee and tea are among the causes of extrinsic stain, the kind that builds up on the tooth from the outside rather than starting inside it. Dark fruits, red wine and cola reach well beyond the mug, and other foods that stain teeth have a guide of their own.

What the lab chemistry adds

A 2024 study from Seoul National University's School of Dentistry, published in the Italian Journal of Food Science, measured the compounds themselves. Kim and colleagues analysed two green teas, two black teas (English Breakfast and Earl Grey) and two coffees (Arabica and Robusta), immersed cow (bovine) enamel samples in each for between 1 and 72 hours, and measured the colour change.

The paper's introduction, citing earlier research, explains why the two kinds of tea differ. Green tea "undergoes minimal oxidation, while black tea is produced through extensive oxidative processes", and "The primary chromogens in green tea are catechins whereas in black tea, theaflavins predominantly arise from the oxidation of catechins". Coffee, it says, "contains high levels of chromogens and melanoidins, both formed during roasting process".

The finding was that "all beverages caused significant tooth discoloration, with black tea showing the most pronounced effect because of its theaflavin content." The authors also report that "even 1 h of immersion in these beverages led to visible tooth discoloration."

Two limits come with that, and the authors state the first themselves: "In vitro conditions may not accurately mimic the oral environment, which is influenced by saliva and other factors." The samples were cow enamel sitting in the drink, not human teeth in a mouth, and the authors list additives such as sugar and milk among the things future research should explore. The work was supported by Korean government ministries and the National Research Foundation of Korea. It shows that the compounds in these drinks can colour enamel, and it compares the drinks under the same conditions. It is not a measure of what your morning cup does.

Coffee or tea: which stains teeth more?

On that lab evidence, it depends which tea. The Seoul study's conclusion is that "Black tea was identified as the most discoloring beverage", and that "Coffee and green tea also demonstrated similar effects on tooth color." So black tea stained more than coffee, and green tea was similar to coffee.

That is one study, on cow enamel, with the drinks tested in a dish. We have not found a named source that ranks the drinks differently, but it is not the last word.

Which teas stain teeth: green, matcha, peppermint and herbal

Green tea

Both sources that address green tea put it on the staining side. Bupa includes it by name: "Tea (including green tea and other coloured herbal teas) and coffee contain tannins, which cause staining." And in the Seoul study, green tea stained cow enamel in the lab even though it is lightly coloured: "Although catechins are generally not regarded as potent staining substances, the evidence clearly demonstrated tooth discoloration resulting from exposure to green tea." The two green teas it tested behaved alike: "Differences among green tea types were minimal".

Matcha

None of the sources we opened tested matcha on teeth, so there is no measured answer to give. What is established is what matcha is. A 2021 review in the journal Molecules, by Kochman and colleagues at the Pomeranian Medical University, describes Japanese matcha as "a type of powdered green tea". Green tea stained enamel in the Seoul study. Whether matcha stains more or less than a cup of brewed green tea has not been measured in anything we could read, so we are not going to rank it.

Peppermint and other herbal teas

Peppermint tea has not been tested on teeth in any source we could open, and Bupa does not name it. What Bupa does is draw a line by colour. Its list of drinks that stain takes in "other coloured herbal teas" alongside tea and coffee, and its first suggestion for cutting down is a swap: "Could you substitute a normal cup of tea for a light herbal tea or flavoured hot water?" So the nearest guidance from a named source is about how coloured the cup is, not about peppermint as such, and we have no measurement that puts peppermint tea on either side of that line.

Why some teeth pick up stain faster

The same drink does not stain all teeth equally, and Bupa gives the reasons: "Some people’s teeth stain more easily than others. This can be caused by thinning of enamel which happens with age, genetics, and even how much saliva we have. But the biggest factor that increases your risk of stained teeth is poor oral hygiene." It also points at acid: "Acids can also wear down your teeth, increasing the chances of your teeth getting stained."

Not every brown mark on a tooth is drink stain, and some need a dentist rather than anything you can do at home. Our guide to how to remove stains from teeth sorts out which kind you have before you spend anything.

Straws, milk, rinsing and timing: what the sources say

Bupa's page lists steps for reducing stain, and four of them are about how you eat and drink. They are Bupa's, quoted as written.

• Rinsing. "Rinse your mouth as soon as possible with water after eating or drinking something that may stain your teeth."
• Straws. "Use a straw when drinking cold drinks like cola or juice that may stain your teeth. Straws can be used for hot drinks as well, but use silicone straws rather than metal."
• Milk. "Add milk to your tea and coffee, as it can reduce the staining effects."
• Cutting down. "If you have staining because you consume a lot of a certain food or drink, try to limit it or look for alternatives."

The rest of its list is general oral care: sugar-free gum, crunchy fruit and vegetables, brushing twice a day, and seeing your dentist or hygienist as often as they advise.

On timing, the evidence is thinner. The Seoul study measured staining by how long the enamel sat in each drink, found visible discolouration after an hour, and found that "Repeated exposure to all beverages caused significant tooth discoloration over time." The authors are clear that a lab dish is not a mouth, so that is not a figure for how long a cup of coffee takes to stain your teeth. Read together, the lab work and Bupa's rinsing step point the same way, towards less contact between the drink and the enamel, but neither puts a number on it.

One timing rule is ours, because it is part of our own usage instructions. After you take a whitening strip off, avoid coffee, tea, red wine and strongly coloured food for about an hour.

Whitening when you drink coffee every day

This is the part of the subject I know first hand. Before Pure Glow existed, I worked a three-shift pattern, drank a lot of coffee and smoked at the time, and I noticed my teeth staining. When I tried whitening, peroxide strips gave me bad sensitivity and made my teeth feel brittle, and the non-peroxide strips I tried would not stick, slid around, gave patchy results and left gunk behind. Fixing that took ten months of testing and four rejected formulas before the one we use now.

For anyone with a daily coffee habit, the Oral Health Foundation sets out the shape of it. On how long whitening lasts, it says "Smoking and drinks like tea, coffee and red wine can cause staining to return more quickly. Good brushing and regular dental cleaning help maintain the result." So whitening and a daily coffee are not either or, but the coffee keeps adding stain, and the result needs looking after.

On the whitening itself, the ADA's summary is that "Whitening treatments can be effective on both extrinsic and intrinsic staining", and coffee and tea are among the causes of the first. Our strips use PAP, short for phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid. It is peroxide free, and it still works on the coloured compounds inside the tooth, just by a gentler route than peroxide takes. PAP teeth whitening explained goes into the chemistry, and our peroxide-free whitening strips page explains the peroxide-free route.

A 14-day box of PAP strips is one course: one treatment a day, an upper and a lower strip, for 14 days, each worn for a minimum of 30 minutes. I often wear mine for 45 minutes to an hour. The claim on the box is a ceiling, up to 6 shades whiter in 14 days, depending on where you start, and reading a tooth shade chart is how to see where that is.

The routine is short. Brush, dry your teeth with a towel, put the smaller strip on the bottom teeth first, then the upper, and do not eat while they are on, though a sip of water is fine. After you take them off, keep coffee, tea, red wine and strongly coloured food away for about an hour.

If you drink coffee every day, the course is the start rather than the end, because the Oral Health Foundation's line above is about exactly that habit. After the course, the routine is top-ups of 2 to 3 strips a week, which is how the strips are designed to hold a shade. That is repeat use, and it is what the 56 strip bundle saver is for: two boxes of the 28, so a course plus 28 strips for top-ups.

Two honest limits. Our strips will not re-colour a composite, a crown or a veneer, although stain that has built up on top of dental work can lift, which helps it blend back in with the natural teeth around it. And they will not hold a result in place while you are still adding new stain, which is why the top-ups exist.

Frequently asked questions

Does coffee stain your teeth?
Yes. Bupa says coffee contains tannins, which cause staining, and the ADA lists coffee among the drinks behind extrinsic stain on the enamel. In the 2024 Seoul lab study, both coffees tested, Arabica and Robusta, discoloured the enamel samples.

Does tea stain your teeth?
Yes. Bupa says tea, including green tea and other coloured herbal teas, contains tannins, which cause staining. In the Seoul lab study on cow enamel, black tea stained the most of the drinks tested, which the authors put down to its theaflavin content, and green tea stained to a similar degree to coffee.

Does green tea discolour teeth?
Yes. Bupa names green tea in its list of drinks whose tannins cause staining, and the Seoul lab study found green tea discoloured cow enamel despite its low pigmentation, to a similar degree to coffee.

Does matcha stain teeth?
No source we could open has tested it. Matcha is a type of powdered green tea, and green tea stained enamel in the lab, but no study we could read has measured matcha itself, so we are not going to guess how it compares.

Does peppermint tea stain teeth?
We have not found a named source that answers this. Bupa lists "coloured herbal teas" among the drinks that stain and suggests a light herbal tea as a swap for a normal cup, so its guidance turns on how coloured the drink is. No source we could open has measured peppermint tea on teeth.

Does adding milk stop tea and coffee staining?
Bupa says to "Add milk to your tea and coffee, as it can reduce the staining effects." The Seoul lab study does not answer it: its authors list additives such as sugar and milk as something for future research.

Do straws stop coffee stains?
Bupa suggests a straw for cold drinks like cola or juice that may stain, and says straws can be used for hot drinks as well, but silicone rather than metal. Neither Bupa nor any other source we opened says how much difference a straw makes.

Can whitening strips help with coffee stains?
Yes. The ADA says whitening treatments can be effective on both extrinsic and intrinsic staining, and it lists coffee among the causes of extrinsic stain. Our strips are peroxide free and work on the coloured compounds inside the tooth by a gentler route than peroxide takes. If you keep drinking coffee, top-ups of 2 to 3 strips a week after the course are how the strips are designed to hold a shade.

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Related reading:

• Keeping teeth white after whitening
• How long teeth whitening lasts
• Why teeth look yellow
• Whether vaping stains teeth

Sources:

• Bupa, Top 10 teeth-staining foods, by Caitlin Miller, Head of Dental Hygiene and Therapy at Bupa Dental Care, 17 September 2025, next review due September 2028. bupa.co.uk
• American Dental Association, Oral Health Topics: Whitening, last updated 16 August 2022 (a United States source). ada.org
• Oral Health Foundation, Tooth whitening, last reviewed 17 April 2026. dentalhealth.org
• Kim S, Son JE, Larnani S, Sim H-Y, Yun P-Y, Kim Y-J, Park Y-S. Effects of tea and coffee on tooth discoloration. Italian Journal of Food Science 2024;36(4):64-71. In vitro, bovine enamel. doi.org/10.15586/ijfs.v36i4.2715
• Kochman J, Jakubczyk K, Antoniewicz J, Mruk H, Janda K. Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules 2021;26(1):85. Used only for what matcha is. doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010085