How to Help Prevent Tooth Decay
Monday, March 29th, 2010Acidic Foods Cause Tooth Decay.
Irreversible tooth decay can be caused by eating too many of the wrong types of food. Having good dental insurance may protect you from the expense of treatment, but how many times have we heard that prevention is better than cure? Sugars are a major cause of tooth decay but a less known fact is that certain other foods can also cause serious damage to your pearly whites.
Better Known Tooth-Decaying Foods Include:
- Soda and carbonated soft drinks – both regular and diet.
- Most brands of energy drink.
- Juices.
- Chocolates and sweets.
These foods normally have a very high sugar content. Plaque and bacterial growth result primarily from the consumption of sugary foods. Foods which contain acid can also damage your teeth. Some acidic foods include:
- Most fruits.
- Pickles.
- Sauerkraut.
- Jams.
- Yogurt.
Often acidic foods will not strike us as causing tooth decay, as they may be good for us in other ways.
The antioxidants in red wine may be good for us too if the wine is drunk in moderation. Tartaric acid is found in both grapes and wine. Tartaric acid occurs naturally in grapes giving a sharp taste.
Health advice points us to a diet rich in fruit in its various forms, and yet the citric and malic acid found within them can be devastating to our teeth. Malic acid is naturally occurring and is usually present in unripe fruits before the formation of citric acid. This is the substance which makes fruits taste sour. Too much malic acid consumption can cause mouth irritation.
As mentioned before, fizzy drinks usually contain lots of sugar, but they also have phosphoric acid in them. Phosphoric acid is used by the food industry as an additive to create tartness in foods. There is a great deal of controversy regarding its health effects.
Foods such as sauerkraut and pickles are preserved in vinegar – acetic acid – or in brine which produces lactic acid. Lactic acid is found primarily in sour milk products such as yoghurt, cottage cheese and koumiss.
Weight control can be helped by eating fruits and low-fat yogurts, and wine is also said to be good for us in moderation. What is it, then, that makes them so bad for our teeth?
Tooth enamel is damaged by the acids found in a number of foods, like those listed above. The enamel is a thin hard layer of tissue on the outside of the tooth. The job of the enamel is to prevent the wearing down of the tooth by providing structural protection.
Acid from foods causes the enamel not only to soften, but also to dissolve. The dentin underneath the tooth’s enamel becomes more exposed as the enamel thins and loses its shape. The dentin is dark and can cause the teeth to look yellow in colour.
Limiting the Effects of Food Acids.
Knowing this does not mean you should not eat any of these acidic foods, indeed many are beneficial to the body in other ways. You should be aware of foods which may cause problems if allowed to stay in your mouth. If you have a regular dental care routine you can help prevent your teeth being attacked by tooth-decaying bacteria and acids.
If you have a desire for sour apples, salt and vinegar crisps or a glass of wine or two, the best way to control the acid in your mouth is to rinse your mouth with water after eating or drinking. Don’t brush your teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods.
The enamel which covers the tooth is softened by food acids – brushing your teeth immediately can cause serious damage as this enamel will still be soft. Ask your dentist to check your enamel if this is something you have been practising after meals. Don’t leave it too late to check – you may even find that a good polish is enough to bring them back to normal.
Other ways of controlling the acidic food in your mouth is to drink through a straw to keep the drink from excess contact with the teeth. Please do not attempt this when drinking wine though – you could be drunk very quickly!
You can also help prevent tooth decay by chewing sugar-free gum – this stimulates the flow of saliva which in turn helps to wash bacteria away. Practising good dental hygiene will help to minimise the damage caused to your teeth by food acids.
Your dentist will advise you if acidic foods are causing decay to your teeth. For those that have UK dental insurance, UK policies often cover the cost of both routine check-ups and hygienist visits too. Why delay – schedule your dental check-up today.


