We all understand soda is bad for our teeth.
But what about those healthier alternatives we choose instead?
You wake up every morning with refreshing orange juice and think that drinking a smoothie after your workout is very healthy, yet it may do more harm to your smile than you’d like to know.
Before we get into particulars regarding drinks, we ought to commence with some basic information about your mouth:
- Dental erosion occurs where the acids cause a direct wearing away of tooth enamel—that outer shell protecting your teeth. A little like wave action on the coastline. You may soon start noticing sensitivity and yellowness because of thin enamel as the underlying soft dentin becomes visible.
- Tooth decay is a whole lot different: that is where the bacteria in your mouth are eating sugars and excreting acids, thereby causing cavities. These small holes can develop over time, causing pretty serious issues that might end up costing you a tooth.
#1. That “Healthy” Morning Juice
You reach for orange juice hoping to get your vitamin C, but with a pH value around 3.7, it is quite acidic (anything below 5.5 is already damaging the enamel).
Plus, all that natural sugar feeds the cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth. So the so-called glass of “health” is in fact giving your teeth an acid bath and feeding harmful bacteria in the process.
#2. Smoothie Troubles
Loving that berry smoothie? My mom always gave me that during my high school days.
While making smoothies, the blending fruits break down their fiber, releasing sugars that go to work for the bacteria in your mouth. And if you threw in some citrus? A perfectly balanced mix of acid and sugar!
#3. Sports and Energy Drinks
Post-workout, most people will reach for their favorite drink—an energy drink or sports drink—to hydrate. I used to carry monster drink cans with me. Thinking it will give me energy to work out more.
Bad news: More research discovered that energy drinks inflicted twice the dental damage compared to sports drinks. Both contain citric and phosphoric acids, and both are jam-packed with sugar.
Your after-gym ritual may ruin more than just your workout.
#4. Sparkling Water with “Just a Hint” of Flavor
Maybe you thought that flavored sparkling water would be a ‘smart choice’.
In reality, the carbonation creates carbonic acid, which has a pH between five and six. It isn’t as damaging as the effects of soda, but to have it sip after sip all day makes your mouth spend most of the time in an acidic state, slowly eroding your enamel.
#5. Trendy Kombucha
Even if it is good for the gut due to fermentation, its acidic nature makes this tea bad for the teeth. Then there’s the leftover sugar that nourishes bacteria; what would have been a trendy health drink now poses a dental risk.
The research has determined that energy drinks actually damage twice as much as sports drinks do.
However, holding on to drink for a whole day makes things worse! Thus, it never allows your mouth to return to a neutral pH, continuously inviting damage hour after hour.
The good news is that you don’t have to eliminate your lovely drinks altogether, but be wise on when and how to enjoy them.
- Drink in Moderation: There is nothing wrong with occasional acid exposure by teeth, but the great danger is constant sipping throughout the day. Instead of nursing that smoothie or kombucha all morning, drink it in one sitting with a meal.
- The Swish Method: Swish some plain water around in your mouth when you’re done with an acidic drink. This simple habit helps wash out acids and sugar before they can do damage. Especially when out and about and unable to brush.
- Avoid Brushing: Believe it or not, brushing right after consuming acidic beverages is worse! Saliva takes about 30 minutes to neutralize things. The acid makes your enamel temporarily soft, then brushing right away contributes more wear. Wait approximately 30 minutes for your saliva to settle everything.
- Straws: Using a straw (preferably reusable) helps the liquid bypass your teeth, reducing contact with enamel. Position it toward the back of your mouth for best results.
- Pop Some Sugar-Free Gum: Chewing gum gets your saliva flowing, which naturally helps neutralize acids. Look out gum with xylitol in it, which actually fights the bacteria that brings cavities—it’s like having a mini dental defense system in your pocket!
Better Choices for Your Teeth
- Still Bipart Water: Nothing can beat the health in the mouth like plain water, but if you are going to get bored, consider getting a water bottle with time markers to sip by every hour of the day.
- Mouthfuls of Milk: Milk indeed makes tooth enamel, even stoning through the calcium and phosphorus content within it. In addition, it helps to normalize the acidity that has been introduced by certain foods and drinks.
- Herbal Teas: Teas like these are actually harmless for the teeth and provide limitless flavor options. Just avoid lemon and sweeteners added; then you will return acid and sugar back into the picture.
- The Benefits of Green Tea : Green tea is less acidic than most drinks. and it has compounds that lead to a fight against inflammation and harmful bacteria. Just let it cool a little before drinking to limit the temperature.
- Water that You Made Flavor Yourself: Be adventurous: slice a cucumber, put mint foliage, or add some berries to your water. You will be rewarded with refreshing flavor without the concentrated acids and sugars in commercial drinks.
Don’t take your favorite beverages out of the picture; rather, take a positive stance in their consumption.
Little adjustments in habit can go a long way toward the goal of protecting your smile for a long time to come.
The healthy options could do wonders for certain aspects of your health, but they could still be detrimental to your teeth.
Choose well and do develop these habits, and you’ll have a chance to enjoy the best!
I hope you enjoyed reading. This blog post comes from what I’ve learned and what I think and believe. Sign up for my Medium newsletter.
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