Tooth erosion is very common and yet very preventable. By making some very small lifestyle changes, it is quite possible to protect yourself from dental erosion and ensure your teeth look naturally clean and white all day long. Here’s how.
Reduce acidic food and drink in your diet
Our diets have a huge influence on our overall health. As a holistic dentist, Aesthetic Family Dentistry are interested in your entire wellbeing not just your dental health. With that in mind, we would definitely advocate reducing acidic food and drink from your diet.
Acidic foods include soda, citrus fruits, beef, bread, cocoa, fruit juice alcohol, lobster, pasta, seafood, sugar, coffee, ketchup, mustard, oats, olives and many more.
Many of these foods are very good for you, so we would suggest eating them in moderation and at mealtimes. That way, you can brush your teeth a short while afterwards. This will drastically lower your chances of developing dental erosion.
Drinking quickly
Swilling or holding a drink in your mouth can speed up tooth erosion. That’s especially true if you drink acidic drinks such as coffee, fruit juice, soda or alcohol. It’s best to swallow quickly once taken in or use a straw to reduce tooth exposure.
Eating dairy products
An unlikely ally in the fight against tooth erosion is milk and cheese. Both help lower the acid levels in the mouth to a much more manageable degree. If it suits your lifestyle, eating some good quality cheese or drinking a little milk after a meal containing acidic foods lowers the pH levels in the mouth, helping control erosion.
Chewing gum
Chewing gum is a long established dental tool for controlling dental erosion. Use sugar-free gum that has xylitol as an ingredient for maximum effect. Chew regularly throughout the day, especially after eating or drinking anything acidic. Chewing gum helps stimulate saliva production which will protect your teeth. It also helps remove food from gaps in your teeth which is an added bonus.
Wait until you brush
We mentioned earlier about brushing your teeth after a meal. Ideally, you would wait around an hour before brushing your teeth to get the most out of this. It may seem counterproductive, but this delay allows your teeth to remineralize before brushing. We know this helps prevent acid erosion.
Drink water throughout the day
As we have established, saliva is a key ingredient in preventing tooth erosion and we want to stimulate it as much as possible. Saliva needs water in order to work, so you need to give your body what it needs throughout the day. Water is essential for all our bodily functions from thinking to walking, digesting to regeneration, so drinking enough water is key. Drink several glasses of water throughout the day for maximum benefit.
If you would like to know more about cosmetic dentistry, and live in Denville, Dover, Morristown, Morris Plains, Mountain Lakes, Randolph, Rockaway contact Aesthetic Family Dentistry for free consultation!
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