Do you often choose fruit tea as a healthier option between meals or in the evening? Do you enjoy swirling the drink around your mouth to really enjoy the flavour before swallowing? If so, you could be damaging your teeth…
Acidic foods and drinks in the diet are associated with erosion of tooth enamel, but some people get more tooth damage than others. A study published in the British Dental Journal in March 2018 looked at what habits you should avoid to save your teeth…
First, it helps to understand that acid in foods softens tooth enamel, while alkaline saliva and “buffering” foods (containing calcium, phosphorous or fluoride) neutralize the acids and protect tooth surfaces. We all know that sugar is bad for our teeth, but did you know that it causes tooth damage by being broken down into acids by bacteria in the mouth? It is the acid, not the sugar, that causes tooth damage, although experts state that sugar is a greater cause of tooth decay than erosion of enamel.
Saliva is alkaline and therefore neutralizes acids, so consuming acidic foods or drinks at meal times, when more saliva is produced, results in less tooth damage. Holding an acidic drink in the mouth increases contact time with teeth and swishing or swirling a drink creates mechanical forces that further increase enamel loss.
Researchers say that when you brush may also make a difference in how much erosion of tooth enamel occurs. Brushing after acid has softened enamel may result in more erosion. In fact, some researchers have suggested that brushing before eating sweets to remove as much bacteria as possible could mean less acid will be produced, and therefore less tooth damage.
The Erosive Tooth Wear Foundation states that tooth erosion has increased in the past 25 years. Up to 30% of adults have signs of tooth wear. Dietary habits, medical conditions, chemical and mechanical factors combine to increase risk.
What are some of the risk factors?
Increased abrasion – While regular brushing does not increase enamel loss, using a very stiff brush, or a highly abrasive tooth polish regularly may cause problems. Holding items, like pins or nails, in the teeth or grinding the teeth regularly can also wear away the enamel in those areas.
Age – All adults will have increasing signs of wear as they age, due to chewing or speech patterns.
Dietary habits – How much and how often you eat acidic foods and drinks, especially between meals has an effect. Remember that swishing, sipping slowly and holding acidic drinks in the mouth dramatically increases the chance of damage due to increased contact time. Adding a buffering, calcium -containing food or consuming at meal time when more acid-neutralizing saliva is produced will lessen the chance of problems. So, add milk to your fruit tea, mix yogurt with your fruit or eat cheese with your wine!
Medication – Thick, syrupy medications tend to adhere to the teeth, greatly increasing contact time between the sugar they contain and tooth surfaces. This can be a problem if they are taken frequently between meals. Brushing before taking the medication to remove plaque and bacteria may reduce the amount of acid produced by the sugar. Rinsing the mouth or eating immediately afterward would reduce contact time of the syrup with the teeth.
Medical conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (“GERD”) or bulimia nervosa (habitual induced vomiting to lose weight) – Stomach fluid contains hydrochloric acid, a very erosive acid, and digestive enzymes…both are very damaging to the teeth, removing minerals that harden the enamel and the collagen that supports the minerals.
Fluoride – Fluoride, as a mouthwash or in toothpaste, hardens tooth enamel and makes it more resistant to erosion.
So, help to save your smile by reducing the effect of acid on the surfaces of your teeth. Avoid tooth erosion caused by acid contact between meals: add some milk to your fruit tea, avoid soft drinks (essentially all are high in acids), drink acidic liquids through a straw to reduce tooth contact and remember that bacteria turn sugar into acids. Balance your acid intake… for example, if you plan to have wine in the evening, choose a non-acidic snack in the afternoon. Alcohol, fruit teas, sodas, sports drinks and flavoured water are all acidic drinks. Water, regular tea, coffee and milk are not. Adding lemon to water or tea makes it acidic too. Most fruits and fruit juices are acidic, with bananas and peaches being less so, and don’t forget about tomatoes, pickles and vinegars which are also acidic. Hot foods and drinks are reported to cause more erosion than cool ones.
Ask your dentist or dental hygienist to show you areas where mechanical erosion has begun so you can change your chewing pattern or other habits that are wearing away enamel. Notice whether you sip drinks slowly or swirl them before swallowing, increasing contact time with teeth.
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