Whether you are an adult or a child, drinking through a straw is fun! There is something so satisfying about sipping your favorite drink through that tiny cylinder. Children enjoy the wild shapes of cleverly-designed straws – even adults like watching their drink travel up through the loops and bends! You may not realize it, but drinking through a straw can actually be beneficial to your oral health. That’s right – you not only get to have a little fun, no matter how young or old you are, but you also get to contribute to the care of your teeth. Here are some of the ways that drinking through a straw can be beneficial to your dental hygiene.

  • Avoid stains – Using a straw to drink darker-colored drinks, such as tea and even coffee (yes, people do drink hot coffee through a straw!) can help you avoid staining your teeth. Darker-colored drinks can lead to discoloration of your teeth. A straw helps you avoid having the drink come into prolonged direct contact with your teeth. Instead of washing your teeth with a big gulp, the straw directs the drink onto your tongue and behind your teeth. Less exposure helps keep your enamel strong, which helps prevent stains.
  • Less bacteria – When you use a straw in a public location, such as in your beverage cup at a restaurant, you have less exposure to bacteria. Bacteria and germs are everywhere, even on a freshly-washed cup. A straw means that you can avoid putting your mouth into direct contact with the cup, which means less exposure to bacteria and germs for you.
  • Less chance of burns – You may not realize it, but your straw is actually a tiny safety tool. When you take smaller sips from a straw of a hot liquid, you are less likely to burn your tongue. Large gulps from a cup of coffee is much more likely to scald your tongue – a straw helps keep the burns at bay!

Whether you are young or old, straws are fun – and now you know that they even have a few benefits. Another benefit of using a straw that has nothing to do with oral health is the convenience factor. When you are on the go, using a straw is faster and easier than tipping up a cup or bottle to your mouth. This is especially true when trying to drink something in your car. Instead of tipping your head back and potentially taking your eyes off the road, using a straw means that you still get a refreshing drink while maintaining driving safety.

So, now you know three ways that using a straw can help your oral health and one way it can make your life a little bit easier. Not only can you protect your teeth from damaging liquids, you can protect your tongue from painful scalding, and you can keep germs away from your mouth. What a great and fun way to contribute to your oral health!