What is Acid Erosion of the Teeth

8/3/2019 What is Acid Erosion of the Teeth

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What Is Acid Erosion of the Teeth?

Acid erosion is the wearing away oftooth enamel. Enamel is mostly calcium, which is dissolved

away by acid quite easily. Food or drink with a pH of 5 or less can dissolve the enamel fromteeth.

What are the symptoms, signs and effects of acid erosion?Acid erosion can wear away the enamel and change the texture, shape and appearance of your

teeth, and may also lead to tooth sensitivity. People often do not become aware of acid erosionuntil it has reached an advanced stage. Detailed dental examinations can help to detect acid

erosion in its earlier stages. Here are the typical signs and effects of acid erosion:

1. Transparency: Teeth may appear slightly "glassy" or

transparent near their biting edges. This tends to be an earlier warning sign of acid erosion.

2. Discoloration: Teeth can have a yellow appearance as enamelbecomes thinner and the darkerdentin shows through. Discoloration tends to occur in the later

stages of acid erosion.

3. Rounded Teeth: As acid erosion advances, teeth can develop a rounded, "sandblasted" lookon their surface and edges.

4. Cracks: In the later stages of acid erosion, small cracks and roughness may be visible at theedges of the teeth.

5. Cupping: Small dents may appear on the chewing surfaces of the teeth in advanced stages of

acid erosion. Fillings also may appear to rise up.

6. Sensitivity: As dentin becomes exposed through loss of enamel, twinges, tingles or aches mayoccur in the teeth when consuming hot, cold or sweet foods and drinks. Tooth sensitivity can


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occur at any stage of acid erosion, from early to advanced.

What is the link between acid erosion and tooth sensitivity?

As tooth enamel is worn away, the underlying dentin may be exposed, causing teeth to become

more sensitive. When nerve endings in the dentin are activated, a slight twinge can be felt whenconsuming hot, cold or sweet foods and drinks

What are the long term consequences of acid erosion?In the longterm, the effects of acid erosion may require dental treatment in order to protect the tooth and the

underlying dentin. A dentist may decide to place a bonded filling, a veneer or a crown to restorethe tooth to its former color and shape. In extreme cases, the damage caused by acid erosion may

result in tooth loss. It used to be rare to see enamel erosion but not anymore, especially in youngpeople. This is due to increased ingestion ofacidic drinks and candy.

Soda pop, sports drinks, and coffee, as well as many juices have extremely low PH. Sweet and

sour candy such as "nerds" cause a lot of erosion. It takes 20 minutes after eating or drinking forthe mouth to "wash itself out," returning to a pH of about 7. When a person sips on coffee, soda,

or sport drinks throughout the day he/she is constantly bathing the mouth in acid, never allowingit to be fully washed out. When one drinks coffee, soda, or sport drinks do it quickly, don't nurse

it along.

Some dentists believe that you should not brush immediately after eating acidic foods or drinksas the acid has "softened" the enamel somewhat. We recommend taking a drink of water

afterward and swishing it around vigorously to clean the teeth.

The pH values some popular drinks (ThepH value of car battery acid is 1:00)

Gatorade Clear 2.4Country Time Lemonade 2.5

Coke Classic 2.5

Capri Sun 2.6

Powerade 2.7

Lipton Brisk 2.8

Nestea Lemon Iced Tea 2.9


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Pepsi One 3.1

Mountain Dew 3.1

Snapple Tea 3.2

Orange Juice 3.3

Diet 7-Up 3.7

Accelerade 3.9

A&W Root Beer 4.3

Brewed Coffee 5.5

Tea (brewed) 7.2

Helpful Suggestions:

y Space out the consumption of acidic foods over the course of a day or a week so thatyour teeth aren't getting an "acid blast" all at once.

y Soda is a major cause of acid erosion. If it's your main beverage, consider cuttingback and substituting water or another non-acidic drink. Or you could alternatebetween drinking soda and water.

y Swallow acidic beverages quickly to limit the time your teeth are exposed to theacid.

y Combine the consumption of acidic foods with other foods that can help neutralizetheir effects (e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurts)

y Use a straw to keep the acid in beverages away from your teethy Waiting at least an hour before you brush is easier on your teeth since your enamel

remains soft for a while after you eat or drink something acidic.

To assist readers in determining the product pH levels, the approximate ranges of pH values are

compiled below. Considerable variation exists between varieties, condition of growing andprocessing methods, etc. Data is presented for the edible portion of foods in their normal and

natural state, unless otherwise designated. This information is provided by FDA in 2007.

Aloe Vera 6.10

Anchovies 6.50

Anti-pesto 5.60

Apple 3.30

Apricots 3.30

Artichokes 5.50

Asparagus 6.00

Avocados 6.27

Bananas 4.50

Barley, cooked 5.19

Beans 5.60

Beets, strained 5.32

Blueberries, frozen 3.11


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Bread, white 5.00

Bread, Cracked wheat 5.43

Bread, pumpernickel 5.40

Bread, Rye 5.20

Bread, whole wheat 5.47Broccoli, cooked 6.30

Brussels sprout 6.00

Buttermilk 4.41

Cabbage 5.20

Cantaloupe 6.13

Capers 6.00

Carrots 5.88

Carrots, strained 5.10

Cauliflower 5.60Cauliflower, cooked 6.45

Caviar, American 5.70

Celery 5.70

Cheese, American, mild 4.98

Cheese, Cheddar 5.90

Cheese, Cottage 4.75

Cheese, Cream, Philadelphia 4.10

Cheese, Parmesan 5.20

Cheese, Swiss Gruyere 5.68

Cherries, California 4.01

Chives 5.20

Clams 6.00

Clam Chowder, New England 6.40

Coconut, fresh 5.50

Coconut milk 6.10

Codfish, boiled 5.30

Cod liver 6.20

Corn, canned 5.90

Corn Flakes 4.90

Crab meat 6.50

Cranberry Juice, canned 2.30

Cream of Asparagus 6.10

Cream of Potato soup 6.00


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Cucumbers 5.12

Cucumbers, Dill pickles 3.20

Dates, canned 6.20

Eggplant 5.50

Eggs, new-laid, whole 6.58Figs, canned 4.92

Flounder, boiled 6.10

Four bean salad 5.60

Fruit cocktail 3.60

Garlic 5.80

Gelatin Dessert 2.60

Ginger 5.60

Gooseberries 2.80

Grapes, Seedless 3.70Grapefruit 3.00

Hearts of Palm 3.08

Honey 2.90

Jujube 5.80

Raspberry 5.05

Ketchup 5.50

Kelp 6.17

Leeks 6.10

Lemon Juice 3.70

Lentils, cooked 4.70

Lettuce 3.38

Lime 5.20

Lobster, cooked 7.10

Lychee 4.70

Macaroni, cooked 5.10

Mangoes, ripe 3.40

Matzos 5.70

Melons, Honey dew 6.00

Milk, cow 6.40

Molasses 4.90

Mushrooms 6.00

Mussels 6.00

Mustard 3.55


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Nectarines 3.92

Noodles, boiled 6.08

Oatmeal, cooked 6.20

Okra, cooked 5.50

Olives, black 6.00Onions, red 5.30

Oranges, Florida 3.69

Orange, Juice Florida 3.30

Oysters 5.68

Papaya 5.20

Parsley 5.70

Parsnip 5.30

Peaches 3.30

Peanut Butter 6.28Pears, Bartlett 3.50

Peas, canned 5.70

Pea Soup, Cream of, Canned 5.70

Peppers 4.65

Peppers, green 5.20

Persimmons 4.42

Pineapple 3.20

Plum Nectar 3.45

Pomegranate 2.93

Potatoes 5.40

Prunes, dried, stewed 3.63

Potato Soup 5.90

Prune Juice 3.95

Pumpkin 4.90

Quince, fresh, stewed 3.12

Radishes, red 5.85

Raisins, seedless 3.80

Raspberries 3.22

Rhubarb 3.10

Rice (all cooked)

Brown 6.20

Krispies 5.40

White 6.00


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Rolls, white 5.46

Romaine 5.78

Salmon, fresh, boiled 5.85

Sardines 5.70

Sauerkraut 3.30Scallop 6.00

Shallots, cooked 5.30

Sherbet, raspberry 3.69

Sherry-wine 3.37

Shrimp 6.50

Soda Crackers 5.65

Soup 6.00

Broccoli Cheese Soup, condensed 5.60

Chicken Broth 5.80Corn Soup, condensed 6.80

Cream of celery Soup, condensed 6.20

Cream of Mushroom, condensed 6.00

Cream style corn, condensed 5.70

Soy infant formula 6.60

Soy Sauce 4.40

Soy bean curd (tofu) 7.20

Soybean milk 7.00

Spaghetti, cooked 5.97

Spinach 5.50

Spinach, cooked 6.60

Squash, acorn, cooked 5.18

Squid 6.00

Sturgeon 6.20

Strawberries 3.00

Sweet Potatoes 5.30

Swiss Chard, cooked 6.17

Tamarind 3.00

Tangerine 3.32

Tea 7.20

Three-Bean Salad 5.40

Tofu (soybean Curd) 7.20

Tomatoes 4.30


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Truffle 5.30

Tuna Fish, canned 5.90

Turnips 5.29

Vegetable Juice 3.90

Vermicelli, cooked 5.80Vinegar 2.40

Walnuts, English 5.42

Water Chestnut 6.00

Watermelon 5.18

Yams, cooked 5.50

Yeast 5.65

Zucchini, cooked 5.69

What is Acid Erosion of the Teeth

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