Coffee is one of Americans’ favorite beverages, with more than two-thirds drinking a cup of joe every day.

The morning staple can provide protective effects for our heart, liver, gut and brain - but dentists have long warned too much of the stimulating drink can erode enamel that protects our teeth.

Now, the Cleveland Clinic suggests an easy but potentially nerve-wracking way to prevent tooth damage, depending on your health and how hot your coffee is. Drinking coffee quickly can help limit time for bad bacteria to form and acid to linger.- but there are some drawbacks to your health.

“The longer you sip on it, the more time it has to coat your teeth,” the clinic warned in a post on Thursday.

“Saliva washes away food particles and neutralizes oral pH. But it’s not instantaneous,” Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center also notes.

Too hot and too fast

Drinking coffee too fast can come with consequences, too.

Hot coffee brewed at a temperature over 150 degrees Fahrenheit can burn the mouth, tongue and esophagus in just a couple of seconds, according to the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. Damage to the esophagus over a prolonged period of time can make its cells susceptible to cancer over time, too.

“When you experience burns on your skin, like sunburn, over a prolonged period of time, the cells start to change to protect themselves,” Dr. Mario Katigbak, chief of thoracic surgery at Connecticut’s Hartford Hospital, explained in a statement.

The temperature isn’t the only problem.

The rush of caffeine and acid from drinking coffee quickly may also be of concern.

The influx of acid from coffee can lead to digestive chaos, sending acid from the stomach into the throat and causing heartburn. It can be especially bad for people who already suffer from too much stomach acid.

Plus, too much of the stimulant caffeine can lead to seizures, sudden high blood pressure and breathing issues, even in healthy adults.

Timing is everything

There’s not a hard limit on how much is too fast, but experts say drinkers should be mindful about when they’re sipping their next cup.

“It’s better to space out coffee consumption rather than drinking cups back-to-back,” nutritionist Nichola Ludlam-Raine told The New York Post, as “it takes 20-45 minutes for caffeine levels to peak in the bloodstream.”

The Cleveland Clinic certainly doesn’t suggest people should chug their hot coffee. However, dentists say people should drink a little faster to protect their teeth.

The multi-state dental company Aspen Dental recommends finishing a cup within 20-30 minutes, for example, instead of sipping over an hour or two.

It’s also smart to limit the amount you are consuming daily.

Sticking to the federally recommended limit of 400 milligrams of caffeine can help prevent any unintended side effects. That’s about four or five cups of coffee a day.

Dentists say people should consume about half of that to prevent staining and the risk of decay, according to most dental practices.

Food friendly

Beyond limiting coffee and drinking fast - but not too fast - eating while drinking can help, as well.

The saliva that forms while eating can act as a buffer for your teeth, the Cleveland Clinic periodontist Dr. Sasha Ross said.

Rinsing the mouth out with tap water can also help strengthen enamel.

“Tap water has fluoride in it that can help that outer layer, that enamel, re-harden. And you can brush your teeth after. That would be recommended as well,” she explained.

“But it's often best to wait about 30 to 60 minutes after you've had these drinks before brushing. Because especially with coffee, it can make your enamel softer,” Ross advised. “And then if you brush that soft enamel away, it can be harmful.”