Is What Your Drinking Damaging Your Enamel?

Your teeth are made up of three parts: at the center is the pulp, which contains the nerves and the blood vessels that keep your tooth alive. Over that is a layer of dentin which is covered by a layer of enamel, which is the white substance you see when you look at a tooth. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body, and it stands up to the biting, and chewing your teeth do every day. But it is not impervious to damage. The sugars and especially the acids in your food and drinks can damage your tooth enamel and allow cavities or even infections to develop in your teeth.

Sports drinks, soft drinks, and especially energy drinks have high sugar content and can also have high acid contents. There can also be other health issues associated with them, but if you consume them on a regular basis, you can damage your tooth enamel. The best thing you can drink for your teeth, and your body for that matter, is water. Citrus fruits and juices taste good and are packed full of vitamins. However, they are also packed full of acid. That doesn’t mean eliminating them from your diet. By all means, keep eating and drinking them. But when you do so, enjoy them with a glass of water. If you suffer from acid reflux, have the flu or are pregnant, one of the side effects is stomach acids in your mouth which will damage your teeth. If you do have about of reflux or you vomit, you may reach for your toothbrush right away. Instead, rinse your mouth with a mixture of baking soda and water, and then wait for thirty minutes before your brush to make sure that all of the acid has been removed from your mouth or neutralized by your saliva.

If you have concerns about your oral health, or if it is just time for your regular cleaning and exam, our dentist will be happy to see you! If you live in the St. Louis, Missouri, area and would like to plan your visit at Bellefontaine Family Dental, call 314-741-5133 today.