Should I brush my teeth before or after drinking coffee?

A recent survey found that two-thirds of American adults drink coffee every day, and they drink it more than any other beverage, including water! For many people, a cup of coffee is the first thing they do in the morning—even before they brush their teeth. But should we brush our teeth before consuming caffeine? Or is it better to brush your teeth after drinking coffee?

That’s Us — Raj Punjabi and Noah Michelson, co-hosts of HuffPost’s “Am I Doing Something Wrong?” Podcast — asks Dr. Stephanie Dumanian, owner of Park Lex 60 Dental, as she joins us to talk about tips for keeping your teeth healthy.

“If I don’t brush my teeth sooner, I don’t think my marriage will last long [in the morning],” Dumanian joked. “Generally, I like to brush my teeth before breakfast.”

It’s not just because she wants to extinguish her morning breath in divorce court. There is a medical reason Domanian brushes his teeth before drinking coffee or eating breakfast rather than after.

“I think the main thing to keep in mind is that typically when you eat… you might introduce some acidic foods into the mix,” she told us. “So you don’t want to brush your teeth directly after drinking something acidic…like coffee.”

She explains that if you brush your teeth immediately after drinking coffee, your mouth essentially becomes a danger zone.

“If you have a lot of acid in your mouth right now … you’re basically brushing your teeth with acid, which is bad for the enamel.”

Coffee isn’t the only popular morning drink that can harm your dental health. Lemon water can also be problematic.

“I’m not going to lie – I see a lot of effects on my patients’ enamel [from drinking lemon water],” Dumanian said. “I’d say, ‘What’s going on? Do you have acid reflux? What’s changed? They can’t figure it out. And then I ask, ‘Do you drink lemon water in the morning?’ ” They’re like, “Every morning!” ” I was like, “Ahhhh!” “I asked, “Are you going to brush your teeth right away too? ” They were like “Yeah!” “I was like, ‘This is terrible!

Many people think it’s better to brush your teeth after drinking coffee or eating other potentially staining foods, but Domanian has a way to keep your teeth white and healthy.

“Rinse it with water a little bit, then brush your teeth half an hour, 20 minutes later, and that’s it,” she said. Rinse your mouth before brushing to help reduce the acidity in your mouth, making cleaning your teeth safer and flushing away anything that may be causing stains.

Another option? Use a straw.

“This will deliver [the coffee or tea] More directly into your throat—it’s not as exposed on your teeth,” she says.

Dumanian also talks with us about why some people are more susceptible to cavities than others, her favorite toothpaste, unexpected reasons why we might have bad breath, and more.

For more information about Dr. Stephanie Dumanian, please visit the official website of Park Lex 60 Dental.

Need help fixing something you’re doing wrong? Please email AmIDoingItWrong@HuffPost.com and we may look into this topic in an upcoming episode.