Acid Wear on Teeth

We've all seen those Sensitive Toothpaste Commercials that talk about fruit acids eroding teeth, right?

Some of us nod our heads in agreement.

Others roll their eyes believing that fruit are:

* healthy for us and

* natural and

* cannot be bad for our teeth.

Yes, we agree that fruit has many positive properties (and we should all definitely be consuming them), but the fact of the matter is, we've seen the erosion firsthand.

When we have a lot of highly acidic fruit (like lemon and lime and even apples), we obviously expose our teeth to the acid with each bite and with each chew. Over time, the acids can leach minerals like calcium out of our teeth and break down our enamel.

Unfortunately, enamel doesn't grow back, so we might begin to feel sensitivity where we didn't have sensitivity before. Over a long period of time, we might get cavities here and there. Or, the acid wear will simply dissolve our teeth over time, leaving us with yellow/browned damaged teeth from mid to late adulthood.

What can we do about it, then?

If your teeth show no signs of damage yet - Excellent, we'll work on preventative measures:

* Drink juices from a straw. If you're environmentally friendly, they have straws made from glass and stainless steel.

* Avoid swishing fruit juices when you're drinking them - because it's like rinsing your mouth with the agent that breaks down your enamel.

* Rinse your mouth with water immediately after eating/drinking. If you're a keener, you can also brush your teeth after 30 minutes (as brushing too soon after eating can damage your enamel).

* Eat cheese after having fruit - the cheese is said to encourage saliva production, so it helps rinse away the harmful acids.

* Come for regular hygiene visits (every 3-4 months) and ask for a fluoride treatment. Fluoride helps strengthen enamel. If you have a high cavity rate, it might be beneficial to try a high-fluoride rinse like Fluoridex, which we carry in the office.

What to do if your teeth already show signs of acid erosion?

Unfortunately, enamel doesn't ever grow back (as mentioned early). However, there are always options available:

* Get it covered with a ceramic, tooth-coloured crown. We have Cerec technology at Alfie Dental, which you can learn about in this video: