Your Healthy Magazine!
Page 18
Female Focus
Are your teeth shrinking ?
Did you know that every time you clean your teeth, you also remove a small amount of tooth enamel due to the abrasive effect of the brush with the toothpaste. If you first drink a glass of orange-juice and then go and brush your teeth, you can multiply that little bit of enamel by 10,000 and you will realise that you have just stripped a lot of tooth enamel off your teeth!
........dissolving in acid …….acid erosion.
If you were to do this 7 days a week you would soon run out of tooth enamel. Your teeth are shrinking. They are also becoming more sensitive as you strip away the layers of enamel and the sensitive dentine below the enamel is exposed. In a week that little bit of enamel is multiplied by 70,000! That is a lot of tooth enamel going down the sink! It can never be replaced. Acid erosion is a form of tooth wear caused by acid softening the surface of tooth enamel. Acidic foods and drinks like fruit, soda, energy drinks, orange juice, salad dressings with vinegar, fruit teas, and wine feature prominently in diets today. These demineralise and soften the tooth surface, making it more susceptible to physical damage, like tooth brushing with toothpaste. Many people think they should brush after meals, but
they do not realise that they may cause enormous damage to the teeth by doing this - as many meals contain acidic foods and drink. Some people think, probably due to advertising, that the more they brush the better! Not true – it is in fact important to clean effectively all tooth surfaces, including those in-between, once a day (twice maximum - and interproximal cleaning just once) but before you put anything acidic in your mouth. If not then suffer the consequences. Tooth enamel is the very hard outer layer of the tooth which protects the sensitive inner parts of the tooth. It is so hard that we dentists need diamond burrs to cut it. It is also fairly white and beautiful – but it does dissolve in acid since it is primarily made of calcium salts. The more you remove, the more yellowed and discoloured the teeth become, and the more sensitive. I have seen enormous damage done by brushing after the daily half grapefruit for breakfast – or lemon juice water, for example. Hence the arrival of the huge new business of products for sensitive teeth – even more money to spit down the sink!
Saliva in the mouth is supersaturated with
calcium
and is capable of repairing acid attacks on teeth – but only if it has a chance to act before the dreaded toothbrush comes to remove it all. Acid erosion is a growing concern today, with 50% of dental professionals reporting seeing an increase in acid erosion compared with 5 years ago. People do not typically become aware of acid erosion until it has reached an advanced stage. Tooth erosion can also result from intrinsic acids e.g. as a consequence of bulimia (vomiting) or indigestion (regurgitation/gastric reflux). People at risk of acid erosion include: - Soda swishers
- Compulsive tooth brushers who brush after meals - Patients consuming diets with high levels of fruit and fruit juices - Patients with eating disorders who vomit regularly, since stomach contents are acidic - Patients with gastric reflux
OUR ADVICE - Reduce the frequency of consumption of acidic foods and drinks - When consuming acidic drinks use a straw placed towards the back of the mouth - Avoid swishing acidic drinks - Wait several hours / next morning after consuming acidic foods and drinks before brushing teeth Luckily we do have good treatments to repair teeth worn by acid erosion – however now you know how to keep acid erosion to a minimum.
Article written by Dr Karen Gardner of Clinica dental la Plaza, Edif la Plaza, Javea Tel 96 646 1120.
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