Ah morning! The time of day you love to hate. I know I’m sure not smiling when my alarm goes off.

Some people are natural morning people and need only a glass of water for their morning pick-me-up. Most people (myself included) have to crawl out of bed and search through cabinets with eyes half closed for a morning caffeine fix. Whatever your choice of morning beverage is, we can all agree on one thing: it wakes us up and gives us the morning kick we need. But are all morning drinks equal?

In a study published in the May/June issue of General Dentistry, researchers looked for the first time at the effects of energy drinks on teeth. It turns out that energy drinks contain high amounts of citric acid. And while citric acid is great for enhancing flavor and elongating shelf life of these drinks, it wreaks havoc on teeth.

Citric acid erodes tooth enamel – the tooth’s outer shell – and this hard covering does a lot to protect teeth from daily stress, stain and decay.  Unfortunately, tooth enamel is not like a broken bone that mends itself or a cut that scars to heal. Once tooth enamel is damaged, it is damaged forever. Damaged enamel causes gaps in protection, making teeth vulnerable to decay and pain. Clearly something to avoid!

So what’s a girl (or guy) to do for a tooth-healthy morning pick me up?

Well, green and black teas might just be the answer. Tea contains elements that interact with plaque bacteria. These elements either kill bacteria or prevent them from growing and producing tooth-attacking acid.

For other tips on tooth-healthy food and drinks as well as the top items to avoid, click here.

Have you changed your caffeine habits to protect your teeth? We’d love to hear about what you are doing. Let us know in the comments below!