The Dental Specialist Reveals the Daily Practice That Harms Your Teeth

Dentists have been urging people to cut out sugar for years and are now warning about other foods and habits that are bad for oral health.

But there might be something even worse. “Tooth enamel is the hardest mineral in your body,” said New York dentist Dante Devotti. “But prolonged exposure to acid, especially acidic fluids, can demineralize and destroy teeth. This makes them more susceptible to cavities.”

“Drinking one cup of coffee, tea, juice, or any other drink in one sitting is better for your teeth than drinking one cup all day long,” added DeVot, who works at Columbia University Dental School. It can take up to an hour for the pH level in your mouth to return to the “protective range”.

And when you drink the same drink regularly, your saliva doesn’t have time to raise its pH (lower numbers indicate higher acidity).

Similar logic applies to drinking and sports drinks. But the Devotee said soft drinks are the worst.

“Drinking soda is essentially a sweet acid bath for the teeth,” he added in an article he wrote on his university website. Not only does sugar lower pH levels, it’s also a food source for bad bacteria that “create your tooth decay cycle.”

Bacteria consume the sugars and turn them into acid, further reducing the acidity level.

“With frequent and prolonged exposure, almost all foods and drinks can be considered harmful to the teeth,” Devot said. Good oral hygiene is not just about brushing and flossing, but understanding how eating and drinking habits, such as snacking or drinking throughout the day, can have the same impact on our dental health.

Source: Daily Mail