How Acidic Foods And Drinks Affect Your Teeth

Written By Kassandra Foreman / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Teeth have a layer of enamel over them that protects them from damage such as cavities, and protects the inner tooth and root from pain and erosion. Once the outer layer has been worn off or damaged it does not replace itself so it must be cared for.

Acidic foods are one threat to the strength of the teeth, and they should be limited or eaten with alkaline foods to bring balance.

How Sugar Affects Teeth

Many foods that are sugary allow cavities to form easier, but they can be brushed off after eating. A few minutes spent brushing and flossing teeth after a sugary treat will go a long way to avoiding the damage that they can cause by coming in contact with the teeth.

When left on teeth sugar will eat away at the enamel and allow cavities to form. These foods are easily identified and can be avoided or limited.

How Acidic Foods Affect Enamel And Dentin

Acidic foods, however, are harder to recognize. Brushing your teeth after consuming an acidic food does not halt the damage being done or undo the damage already caused. These acids burn through the enamel on teeth - and without the protective coating - the dentin underneath is susceptible to cavities, pain, and sensitivity.

Teeth may also become discoloured, affect fillings and already formed cavities, and even cause abscess or tooth loss in some situations, though those are not commonly encountered.

How Alkaline And Neutral Foods Help Teeth

Healthy and nutritious foods can also be acidic. The best way to protect your teeth from a healthy food that is also acidic is to add it into a dish. Used as an ingredient with alkaline foods or neutral ones it will help to neutralize the acid as well.

Things like tomatoes can be added to pasta sauces, citrus foods such as lemon can be added into flavourings for meals, even chicken and rice or vegetables can help to balance acidic ingredients. Foods that are carbonated often have an effect on tooth enamel as well, but even more so when they are sugary drinks that already damage teeth.

Rinse Mouth Of Acidic Foods

One other way to help limit the damage caused by acidic foods is to rinse your mouth after consuming. Steps such as rinsing the mouth with water, having a drink of milk, or even chewing sugarless gum to increase saliva will help to reduce the build-up or residue of acidic foods.

It is best to wait an hour or so after consuming these foods before brushing, as they will be weakest directly after consumption. It is best to not brush teeth when they are at their weakest, and to brush gently when you do.

Not only are sugary foods damaging to teeth by eating away at the enamel and leaving them sensitive and easily damaged, but acidic foods also damage the enamel and leave teeth vulnerable.

While it is best to not consume these foods alone, many are nutritious foods that can help maintain a balanced and healthy diet. These foods can be mixed with other foods, or rinsed after, in order to limit the damages caused.

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources make sure to check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Kassandra Foreman has been writing freelance for five years now and enjoys learning about new things to write about. When not writing she teaches yoga and meditation with a focus on health and fitness.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Thalia Ruiz on Unsplash