Medical Vision Dental

Acidic 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.

Tooth decay is not only a problem for kids but also with adults. Back then, adults weren’t as fortunate as the children today when it comes to dental technology; now, people have a better access to dental care. Since preventative measures are readily available, not a lot of kids have cavities nowadays. However, the problem of tooth decay cannot be totally avoided because plaque, the sticky film of bacteria, is ever present in your teeth.

As long as you eat and drink especially foods containing starches and sugars, plaque will form on your teeth. Plaque produces acids that attack the enamel of your teeth and over time, the acids gradually destroy the enamel resulting to tooth decay.

It’s not the end of the world for all the sweet tooth out there. Keep in mind that proper dental hygiene and regular dental visits are important in keeping your teeth in good condition and also, to prevent the formation of cavities.

To prevent tooth decay, you must follow these tips:

• Use a fluoride based toothpaste when brushing your teeth. Brush at least twice a day.
• Floss daily to remove the food debris in between your teeth.
• Eat a balanced diet and lessen the number of snacks in betwen meals.
• Check with your dentist about supplemental fluoride to strengthen your teeth and the use of dental sealants to be applied on the surface of the back teeth to protect it from cavities.
• Make it a point to visit your dentist regularly for dental cleaning and oral examination.

Adults who have dental fillings should take notice on the crevices, edges and margins of their fillings. Many adults didn’t receive proper dental care when they were growing up such as fluoride treatment and with that, they often have a number of dental fillings. Bacteria-carrying plaque may destroy the enamel especially the tiny spaces in between the teeth and eventually leads to decay.

For more tips about proper oral care and dental health, visit our team of Ft Lauderdale dentists at sleepdentists.com