Fizzy drinks…..why they inflict a double hit on teeth! 12 September 20205 April 2022Fizzy drinks have both sugar and acid. These cause catastrophic damage to dental enamel, the hard protective surface of your teeth.AcidAcid is a problem for our teeth as it weakens the enamel of our teeth, leaving them vulnerable to damage. Every time we eat or drink anything acidic, the enamel on our teeth becomes softer for a short while and it loses some of its mineral content.Our saliva will slowly cancel out this acidity and get our mouth back to its natural balance. However, if this acid attack happens too often, our mouth does not get the chance to recover. This could result in slowly losing our enamel.Enamel is the hard, protective coating of our tooth, which protects the sensitive dentine underneath. When the enamel is worn away, the dentine underneath is exposed, which may lead to pain and sensitivity.The most common types of acid in our food and drink are carbonic acids, citric acids and phosphoric acids. These are the acids that weaken our enamel, leading to dental erosion..Fizz‘Fizziness’ is often a tell-tale sign of an acidic drink. The most common of these are fizzy drinks, sodas, pops and carbonated drinks. It is important to remember that even the ‘diet’ brands are still harmful. Even flavoured fizzy waters can have an effect if drunk in large amounts, as they contain weak acids which can harm our teeth.Some alcohol is also acidic. Beer, cider, prosecco, white wine and alcopops are all example of alcoholic drinks that are highly erosive for our teeth.Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation says: “The best way for us to avoid the damage caused by fizzy drinks is to simply limit our exposure to them. Only having acidic drinks at mealtimes is a great way to reduce the amount to which our mouth is under an acid attack.“Another tip is to swallow our drink quickly, without holding it in our mouth or ‘swishing’ it around. Again, it’s all about reducing the amount of time our teeth are being exposed to acid. An alternative is to use a straw. This helps drinks go to the back of our mouth and avoids long contact with our teeth.”“Plain, still water is the best drink for our teeth. Milk is also good because it helps to neutralise acids in our mouth.”SugarSugar in your diet, even from drinks, causes dental decay. Decay is the leading cause for tooth loss in young people in the UK.Dental de ay is completely preventable, but just being aware of what sugar in present in what you eat and drink.In fizzy drinks, there is upto 11g of sugar in each portion. This is a whopping amount for your teeth to cope with. If you are having these drinks everyday, or even worse more than once a day, your teeth will exceed thier capacity for repair and cavities will from from decayKeep fizzy drinks as a treat, and only have them at mealtimes, to reduce the impact they have. Switch to sugar free alternatives, or better still, invest in a reusable water bottle, and make water your drink choice from now on!!Oral health educatorWhy not make an appointment with our oral health educator, Beth or one of our experienced dentists, who will discuss with you how your sugar and acid intake can be changed to improve your oral health. As a new dentist in Scarbrough, we are pasionate about improving the oral health of you and your family.We’re here to help, and to make you smile.
Top tips to prevent dental erosion.. 17 June 20205 April 2022The enamel on your teeth is the hardest and most mineralised part of your whole body. It covers the outer layer of each tooth, shielding the sensitive dentine underneath and protecting it from tooth decay.Not all healthy food is good for teeth!Dental erosion is the loss of your tooth enamel and is caused by acid attack. When the enamel is worn away, dentine becomes exposed and it could lead to pain and sensitivity.Unlike other parts of your body (such as bones or muscles), tooth enamel is not made up of living cells. This means that once enamel is destroyed, your body cannot rebuild it. Because of this, it is important to prevent your enamel from eroding. That’s why we want to raise awareness about dental erosion.Here are our top 8 tips for helping you to reduce the erosion of enamel.1 – Have acidic food and drinks, and fizzy drinks, sodas and pops, just at mealtimes. This will reduce the number of acid attacks on your teeth. Don’t forget healthy options such as fizzy water and smoothies can be very acidic too.2 – Drink quickly, without holding the drink in your mouth or ‘swishing’ it around your mouth. Or use a straw to help drinks go to the back of your mouth and avoid long contact with your teeth.3 – Finish a meal with cheese or milk as this will help cancel out the acid4 – Chew sugar-free gum after eating. This will help produce more saliva to help cancel out the acids which form in your mouth after eating.5 – Wait for at least one hour after eating or drinking anything acidic before brushing your teeth. This gives your teeth time to build up their mineral content again. Some fruits, which are healthy, can be really acidic for your teeth, such as oranges and grapefruit. Try not to eat these fruits in excess.6 – Brush your teeth last thing at night and at least one other time during the day, with fluoride toothpaste. Use a small-headed brush with medium to soft bristles7 – Children up to three-years-old should use a toothpaste with a fluoride level of at least 1000ppm (parts per million). After three-years-old, you should use a toothpaste that contains 1350ppm-to-1500ppm.8 – Spit out after brushing and do not rinse, so that the fluoride stays on your teeth longer.Why not book an appointment to have a chat about how we can help you make sure you’re eating the right foods, and have the right oral hygiene regime for your teeth!