Although the pH levels of foods you consume most likely do not cross your mind, they can be very important concerning your teeth. In children particularly, tooth surface loss is becoming more of a concern.  Dental erosion is irreversible and is not the result of bacteria, but acid. Because of this, it is very important to read early signs of erosion to minimize the effect it has in the long run.

We have known for a long time now that carbonated sodas are bad for our overall health and dental health, but now there are other products you should try to avoid in long durations. Acidic fruits and juices also increase your risk for dental erosion. The acid in food and drinks softens the enamel on the tooth. Neutral pH in your saliva is around 7. Below 7 is more acidic and above 7 is more basic. It has been found that foods and drinks high in acidity are causing more tooth erosion.  With other factors involved, below is a chart of some drink’s erosion potential.

 

 

Drinks	Erosion Potential
Apple Juice	HIGH
Grapefruit Juice	HIGH
Orange Juice	HIGH
Cola Drinks	Medium
Carbonated Orange	Medium
Sparkling Water	Low

 

Foods	pH
Seedless Raisins	3.98
Dried Apricots	3.87
Orange Squash	2.82
Pure Orange Juice Concentrate	3.66
Organic bio yogurt	4.10
Pure Apple Juice	3.58
Natural Cheese	5.01
Bananas	5.15
Apples	5.47
Pears	5.72
Strawberry flavored milk	6.41
Whole milk	6.69
Water	7.28

 

If you are one of those people who just cannot go a day without a soda, there are ways to drink it to reduce the possibility of erosion. Small sips throughout your day puts you more at risk for erosion; therefore, drinking one in a short duration would be better.  Children who drink juice should not be given the bottle or drinking cup just to suck on continuously. The longer you are exposed to acid the more you put yourself at risk for dental erosion. 

Being aware of the acidity of the foods you eat and drink could save you from extensive and costly dental work in the future. Only good dental hygiene will not prevent you from losing your enamel. Change your eating habits along with other things will help to improve your chances of keeping your teeth.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 4:42 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.