Jeffrey Hermen, DDS Blog

Coffee is life, as they say, but sometimes when you’re not feeling your best, life as usual must be put on hold. This is especially true when it comes to having a tooth extracted. Tooth extractions may not seem like a big deal, but they do require a bit of downtime and a few key changes to your routine to successfully heal. Unfortunately, that means you must lay off the coffee for at least a few days following your procedure. Here’s why when you get a tooth removed, it’s important to (temporarily!) forgo the joe.

Why Can’t I Drink Coffee?

While coffee may provide you with a warm, comforting boost of energy each morning, it can do more harm than good when it comes to recovering from a tooth extraction. For starters, it is important to avoid hot liquids for at least the first 24 hours following your procedure, as this can not only cause pain and sensitivity, but it can also prevent a clot from forming in your extraction site. Clotting is necessary to stop the bleeding and prevent bacteria and food from entering the gums.

But wait! Don’t reach for that iced coffee just yet, either. The other important reason you should hold off on that delicious cup of java is that caffeine can cause your blood vessels to enlarge, making it harder to stop bleeding. It can also increase your blood pressure and because you cannot eat solid foods, the acidity from those magical beans can increase your risk of heartburn and nausea.

How Long Do I Need to Wait Before I Can Drink Coffee Again?

Thankfully, you don’t have to quit coffee forever following your tooth extraction. While it is recommended that you wait at least 24 hours before consuming hot foods or beverages, you should wait around five days before drinking hot coffee again.

If you must have coffee before then, room temperature or iced decaf can be consumed after the first 24 hours.

What Should I Drink After a Tooth Extraction?

The best thing you can drink after a tooth extraction is water. Whether it’s tap water or bottled is not important: just make sure it is room temperature for the first 24 hours, so you don’t experience any unwanted sensitivity. After that, you can drink cold water or other chilled beverages like juice or milk. But try to avoid anything too sugary, carbonated, or caffeinated for as long as possible.

Furthermore, it is very important that you do not drink anything through a straw during your recovery period, as this can also cause your clot to dislodge.

While it might be hard to give up that cherished cup of coffee for a few days, don’t despair. Use your caffeine-free time to relax and heal from your tooth extraction, and you and you’re cup of joe will be back to taking on the world before you know it!

About Dr. Hermen

Dr. Jeffrey F. Hermen enjoys working together with his patients to help them achieve their oral health goals. Whether you need an exam, a cosmetic procedure, restorations, or a tooth extraction, Dr. Hermen is proud to provide compassionate care to patients of all ages. He is a member of the Oklahoma Dental Association and has served on the board of the Oklahoma County Dental Society for more than 20 years.

To schedule an appointment for a tooth extraction, please visit our website or call 405-621-2100.

While most people won’t experience any complications after having their wisdom teeth or any other tooth removed, about 3% of tooth extractions lead to dry socket. This severely painful condition results when a blood clot fails to form over or is dislodged from the removed tooth’s empty socket, resulting in the nerves, bone structure, and soft tissues therein being exposed to the stresses of the oral environment. Here’s what you should know about dry socket and how you can avoid it.

(more…)

When people first get their dentures, there’s an adjustment phase that every patient will go through. While this prosthetic will make it much easier to do everything in your life, from eating to talking, but relearning how to do these things effortlessly will take a little bit of time.

Of course, being able to eat with your prosthetic isn’t necessarily something you can wait on; you’ll need have some food eventually, so it’s important that you learn how to do that. Here are a few tips that could potentially help you adjust a bit faster.

(more…)

Traditional dentures have allowed many people to enjoy complete smiles after extensive tooth loss. While chewing food with dentures is much easier than chewing food without teeth, these appliances can have a lot of trouble with tougher or harder foods like steak, nuts, or crunchy veggies. Here’s how wearing dentures can affect your nutritional intake as well as how dental implants can help.

(more…)

You might have heard about cosmetic dentistry, an expansive field that can do incredible things for patients that are unhappy with their smile. If you have some kind of issue with the way your teeth look, there’s likely a cosmetic treatment out there that could help you get a smile you could take real pride in.

However, patients on the older side are sometimes nervous about the procedure, wondering whether their age could cause complications for the procedure. If you’re curious, here’s what you should know about the prospect of getting cosmetic dentistry as a senior.

(more…)

There’s no shortage of ways that someone can be unhappy with their smile. Even if your smile is technically healthy, you still might not be all that happy with what you see in the mirror each day. Thankfully, there are also a variety of cosmetic dental procedures out there. They can be used to deal with just about any issue that you could have with your smile, giving you teeth that you can take true pride in.

Here are some of the most common issues that people often have with their teeth, along with the cosmetic treatments that can be used to address them.

(more…)

Many people have teeth with extensive flaws or damage, and many of them might be interested in what dentists can do to help them have a prettier smile. Veneers and dental crowns can both enhance your smile’s appearance by covering unsightly teeth, but one treatment or the other may be better depending on the patient’s unique situation. Here are the differences between dental crowns and veneers and a few reasons why one might be a better treatment.

(more…)

Cranberries are enjoyed as juices, jams, sauces, capsules, chewing gum, and dried fruit, and they have numerous overall health benefits. They have long been known to be good for the urinary tract and may provide important nutritional support against infectious diseases as well as serious conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Cranberries also have interesting effects on dental health. Here are the pros and cons of cranberries for your smile as well as some tips for maximizing the pros while minimizing the cons.

(more…)

You’re at a holiday party, and red wine is being served. It can be all too tempting to simply take a sip without a second thought. But before you indulge in your drink, it’s important to remember that red wine is rather infamous for staining teeth. As such, you may want to take some precautions so that you can enjoy your beverage without having to worry about what your smile will look like afterward. Here’s a quick overview from your dentist on what you need to know about red wine and dental stains.

(more…)

Every year, the family gathers around the table in November to enjoy a Thanksgiving spread. While some households are more traditional about the foods on the table than others, most families will take some time before eating to list what they are thankful for. When your friends and family members are listing things like health, family, shelter, and all those other wonderful things, take some time to appreciate the wonders of saliva. Here’s why you should be especially grateful for everything saliva does for your dental and overall health when you’re enjoying your Thanksgiving feast.

(more…)