"Do you use a whitening toothpaste?", my dentist asked, the last time he peered into my mouth.

"Yes, sometimes", I answered, feeling guilty about it, and not really sure why.

He shook his head and muttered something I didn't quite hear, but by then he was already back in my mouth, and I couldn't ask. He continued the cleaning, and checked the teeth for any signs of problems. Then he took five minutes to have a conversation I'm sure he has with every patient that comes in. He must be sick of saying it, so for the sake of my dentist, here it is.

"Do you know what the primary ingredient is in these whitening toothpastes?", he asked me as he finished up.

"Bleach?", I guessed.

"Exactly." He waited as though I should be catching on to something, but I wasn't there yet.

"I drink a lot of coffee", I told him lamely by way of excuse.

"Well, as your gums recede because of the bleach you are using, and your teeth loosen in them, you will allow more debris in there which over the long haul will cause more tooth decay.... but they'll be a little whiter I guess."

He'd made his point, and ruined my day. Now suddenly I had to choose between coffee and my teeth. Sigh.

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