Kingston Dentist Talks About Acid Wear.

Did you know that many of the foods and drinks we enjoy as part of a modern diet (including soft drinks, fruit juices, wine, fruit teas, certain fruits and vegetables, and balsamic vinegar) contain acids that can temporarily soften tooth enamel? This is a concern, because acid-softened tooth enamel can be more easily worn away during brushing.

This condition, commonly known as “acid wear” or “acid erosion”, can result in sensitive and/or discoloured teeth or the appearance of transparent, thinning teeth.

Once the enamel is gone, it’s gone for good. And since the early signs are often hard to spot, and can only be seen by your dentist, early, proactive prevention is the best policy.

Your teeth may look healthy

A dentist can see the early signs of Acid Wear.

What Causes Acid Wear?

Foods and Drinks We Enjoy Every Day May Contain Natural Acids which Can Cause Acid Wear.

Acid wear, also known as acid erosion, can occur as part of daily eating and drinking. Foods and drinks containing acid are everywhere and it’s this acid in foods, wine and fruit juices that can soften enamel and lead to acid wear.

If you regularly drink wine, your teeth may be vulnerable to acid wear. Regularly consuming fruits such as strawberries or fruit juices also exposes your teeth to acid wear. Even common foods and drinks such as soft drinks and salad dressings containing balsamic vinegar can cause acid wear, which can visibly change teeth over time.

An Example

Let’s use orange juice as an example: when it comes into contact with your teeth, the tooth’s hard enamel surface temporarily softens. Then, if you follow your morning orange juice with immediate brushing, the enamel can be worn away more easily, causing significant wear over time.

The pH Values of Everyday Foods

PH values are indicators of the acidity of a substance. pH values range from 0 to 14, and anything with a pH value below 7 is considered to be acidic. Food and drinks with pH levels lower than 5.3 can put your enamel at risk of acid wear. As you can see when you use the Food Acidity Finder below, so much of what we eat and drink on a daily basis have low pH values. That’s why you should always follow your dentist’s advice on how to best consume acidic foods. Dentists also recommend Pronamel to help protect your teeth from acid wear.