Blog Post

FOODS AND BEVERAGES THAT DAMAGE TOOTH ENAMEL

  • By Admin
  • 11 Oct, 2017
Some of the foods you love the most, even the healthy ones, can cause damage to your teeth by eroding tooth enamel. Tooth enamel is the hard outer layer of your teeth, and its sole design is to protect your teeth against cavities and bacteria. It's considered tougher than bone and is the hardest part of the human body.

Unfortunately, tooth enamel can be worn down by everyday foods and beverages, especially acidic or sugary substances. Here is a small list of consumables that can damage your tooth enamel and ways you can still eat or drink them safely as part of your regular diet.

Ice

Chewing on ice can be damaging to tooth enamel as the hard substance can chip or crack your teeth, especially since ice is so cold compared to the temperature of your mouth. To protect your teeth against damaging ice, don't chew ice. If the urge to chew on ice is too tempting, consider sucking on the freezing substance instead to preserve your tooth enamel.

Sugary Beverages

Beverages that contain high levels of sugars can cause enamel erosion. The fault lies in the sugar content itself as sugar leads to acidity in the mouth, which in turn wears away enamel.

The following beverages can contain high levels of sugar:
  • Soda
  • Energy drinks
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Sports drinks
  • Juice
When consuming sugary beverages, rinse your mouth out with water following consumption. A quick water rinse can lower the sugar content left behind on your teeth and help reduce enamel damage. Keep in mind that milk is also high in sugar and can be damaging to children's teeth if they go to bed with a bottle or sippy cup at night.

Acidic Beverages

Beverages that are highly acidic, such as juice or coffee, can break down tooth enamel by eroding it. It's wise to drink watered-down acidic beverages, including wine, coffee and some teas, following consumption with a water rinse.

If you feel a sharp pain in your mouth when consuming hot or cold beverages, this may be a sign of nerve damage due to weakened tooth enamel. Discuss any tooth discomfort when drinking or eating with your dentist.

Certain Fruits

Oranges, lemons, grapefruits and other acidic fruits are full of healthy vitamins and nutrients but can also damage your tooth enamel. Your tooth enamel may be especially sensitive if you use an at-home whitening kit while consuming acidic foods. Tooth whitening agents can weaken tooth enamel even as they whiten your teeth.

Your best defense against tooth enamel damage is to take care when eating acidic fruits by brushing your teeth 30 minutes after consumption. It's also wise to have your dentist assist you in teeth whitening rather than perform the cosmetic procedure yourself at home.

Candy

Candy not only leads to painful cavities but can also cause your tooth enamel to weaken. Always eat candy, including chocolate, in moderation, and continue to brush and floss regularly as advised by your dentist.

Counteract the foul effects of acidic or sugary foods and beverages by consuming healthier foods that protect or help clean your teeth. For example, abrasive apples and carrots can cleanse your teeth after consuming acidic fruits. Or you can drink water with a glass of wine to offset wine's potentially negative effects on the mouth.

See your dentist twice a year for professional cleanings and a checkup, or as suggested by your dentist. For all your general and emergency dental needs, allow our expert staff at Emergency Dentist Milwaukie-Clackamas treat you. We take pride in our dental expertise and treat our patients with custom care.
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If you experience sensitivity in your teeth whenever you eat something cold, hot, or sweet, you may wonder why you have this problem and what can you do to stop it. Your sensitive teeth may be a result of enamel erosion.

Enamel erosion occurs when the surfaces of your teeth (enamel) wear down from a loss of calcium and other valuable minerals. A number of things can erode your enamel, including sweet and acidic foods and beverages.

Although you can't reverse enamel erosion once it occurs, you can take steps to reduce or stop its damaging effects on your teeth.

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