By Amy Kennard
When you think of erosion, you may think of the act of something being worn away, like a hillside or a beach. But, there’s another kind of erosion that hits much closer to home, in your very own mouth.
Acid erosion is the wearing away of the tooth’s natural enamel, the hard, yet thin, outer covering of the tooth, visible above the gum line. Enamel is vital for protecting your teeth from what teeth do daily — chew, bite, crunch, and grind. And, though it’s the hardest substance in the human body, tooth enamel is vulnerable to chipping, cracking, and yes, erosion.
Perils of pH Levels
Here’s a little science lesson for you. Acid erosion is strongly linked to the consumption of acidic foods and drinks based on something called the pH level. The pH level is a measure of acidity. Generally speaking, anything with a pH of less than seven is considered acidic.
Let’s look at it this way. Battery acid has a pH level of 1.0. Now, obviously, we’re not going to consume battery acid. But, did you know that some of the most popular beverages we drink rival the acidity levels of the stuff we put in our cars? For instance, that ever-popular sports drink, Gatorade, has a pH level of 2.4. Coke, one of the most frequently consumed soft drinks on the market, has a pH level of 2.5. Orange juice ranks a little better at 3.3, and brewed coffee checks in at a 5.5. For adults, wine falls in the quite acidic range with pH values ranging between 2.9 and 3.9.
Food can be an acidic culprit as well. Vinegar, ketchup, pickles and even fresh citrus fruits have pH levels under the acid benchmark of seven. Acids are also consumed in the form of some medications that we take. Common acidic drugs, such as aspirin and penicillin, can wreak havoc on your pearly whites. Certain medications can have the side effect of drying up your saliva production. People who are prone to dry mouth are at higher risk for acid erosion because reduced salivary flow increases the mouth’s acid levels.
Dr. Mark Houska of Houska Dental Center frequently sees the signs of acid erosion in his practice. “With the increasing consumption of numerous sports drinks and soda,” he explains, “we’re seeing not only more cases of acid erosion, but also finding erosion at earlier ages in young patients.” Another culprit, he says, is a lack of fluoride. “We see more and more people drinking bottled water, which typically doesn’t contain fluoride, rather than drinking tap water, which does.” Fluoride hardens tooth enamel and can help reverse early signs of enamel erosion.
Signs of acid erosion include a yellow, glassy or transparent appearance to your teeth, especially near the biting edges. Enamel itself is translucent; it’s the internal layer of your tooth, the dentin, which determines your tooth’s color and shows through more as the enamel layer erodes away. Eroded teeth may appear to be more rounded, and small cracks, chipped edges or roughness may be visible. You may find your teeth are more sensitive to cold, hot or sweet food and drinks.
How to Elude Enamel Erosion
According to Dr. Houska, there are some easy ways to stave off loss of this important part of your teeth’s makeup. “The simplest way is to reduce the frequency of drinking acidic beverages and eating acidic foods,” he advises. “Know which items have the most acidic pH levels, avoid these, and try to substitute more teeth-friendly beverages like water, almond or soy milk, or nonacidic herbal teas.” Other measures you can take include:
- Not swishing soda or other acidic drinks around in your mouth. Do rinse with water after consuming soda or sports drinks, or better yet, brush your teeth with a fluoridated toothpaste.
- Use a straw and place it toward the back of your mouth.
- Chew sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva production and to help avoid dry mouth.
- Neutralize your mouth acids by eating cheese, or drinking milk, at the end of a meal, or rinse with water after eating.
- Use a fluoride toothpaste
- Drink more water
If you think you may be headed down the slippery slope of acid erosion, make an appointment with your dentist. In some cases, the affected teeth can be bonded, crowned or veneered to restore them to their former strength and luster. Acid erosion is a tough pill to swallow, and there are plenty of small ways you can change your lifestyle in order to keep your smile bright and your teeth as healthy as they can be.
For more information or to schedule a personal consultation, please call Houska Dental Center at 309-662-9042 or visit them online at www.HouskaDental.com. They are located at 2433 Maloney Dr. in Bloomington and offer 25 years of exceptional dental care to the Bloomington-Normal area with expertise in general and cosmetic dentistry.
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