Straight Teeth in Less Time
2 Ways To Lessen Acid In Your Mouth
Lois Murray
Acid is a main culprit in the development of tooth decay. When tooth enamel is exposed to acid, it starts to dissolve. The weakened areas of enamel develop cavities and allow oral bacteria to gain access to the interior of the tooth.
There are ways to lessen the concentration of decay-causing acid in your mouth. Here are two:
Give up sodas.
Even though sodas are sometimes thought to be problematic because of their sugar content, even diet sodas can wreak havoc with your teeth. The low pH of most sodas indicates that these beverages are highly acidic.
The pH of a liquid can range between 0 and 14. It indicates how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The pH of pure water is neutral and is assigned a mid-range value of 7.0. However, acidic solutions have a pH that is below 7.0, and basic or alkaline substances have a pH that is greater than 7.0. The pH of Coke registers at 2.52. Battery acid has a pH of 1.0.
Studies show that colas are about 10 times as erosive to tooth enamel as fruit juice in the first three minutes of exposure. One study indicated that after about two days of constant exposure to soda, tooth enamel loses approximately five percent of its weight.
If you choose to forgo sodas, try quenching your thirst with tea or water. Water can help dilute any acid that is in your mouth, and black tea has antimicrobial properties to help reduce the number of acid-producing microbes in the oral cavity.
Chew gum
Chewing gum stimulates saliva production. If you are healthy, your saliva should have a pH around 7.4, which is alkaline. As saliva bathes your mouth, harmful concentrations of oral acid are diluted. The alkaline pH also helps neutralize some of the acid.
In addition, chewing gum helps pull oral bacteria from your teeth so that the bacteria are swallowed or discarded when you spit out the gum. Oral bacteria add to the acid content in your mouth because they release acid as a byproduct after feeding on food particles in your oral cavity.
If you choose gum that contains
To learn additional ways to minimize tooth decay that is caused by acid in your mouth, schedule an appointment with a dentist in your area. He or she will be able to advise on more measures to help protect your teeth from demineralization. To learn more, speak with a business like Buffalo Dental Group.
Share
I had braces when I was a kid. Back then, you had to wear those metal wires and rubber bands for what seemed like forever. When I saw that my child’s teeth were going to be crooked like mine, I was dreading the years of braces and orthodontist appointments and limited diets that I saw stretching ahead of us. I was pleased to find out that braces today are very different from braces when I was a kid. They don’t need to be worn for nearly as long, and they aren’t as intrusive, either. My daughter got braces that can barely be seen, and she can remove them when she eats, so she doesn’t have to give up her favorite foods. I was so impressed that I started a blog to talk about modern day tooth straightening techniques. Braces have come a long way.