If you aren’t sure about what to make of acid erosion (or you have never even heard this term before), first recognize that it’s common, serious, and can harm your oral health. Now, before you fly into a panic, don’t get too worried. When you know what it is, how to avoid it, and how to handle any existing injury, you’ll see it’s actually quite easy to safeguard your grin. With just a few helpful details, you’ll have the essential information you need!
What Is Acid Erosion?
Have you heard of this before? It’s what happens when acid touches your teeth (more specifically, when it coats them for any length of time). When might this happen, you wonder? Well, when you’re eating sugary foods, your mouth becomes more acidic. When you’re drinking acidic beverages, that acid is swooshing over your smile.
What Are Common Causes?
So, you know that sugary and acidic foods and drinks are a problem. However, you’re not sure what this really includes. Let’s set the record straight, so you can make efforts to avoid acid erosion. The following foods to skip or limit will help you understand:
- Anything with sugar as an ingredient
- Anything that naturally contains sugar (like fruits)
- Anything that’s acidic (such as sodas, coffee, tea, juice, sports drinks, hot chocolate, wine)
What Should I Do About It?
We don’t expect you to stop consuming anything that might contribute to acid erosion. Instead, we encourage you to limit very sugary or acidic foods and drinks. We also encourage you to rinse then brush after you eat them. This is an easy way to prevent problems. Also keep up with checkups with us, so we can prevent or identify (and treat) any incidence of erosion.
Avoid Acid Erosion For A Healthy Smile
Talk with us about acid erosion, so we can protect your smile for many years to come. If you need to schedule a dental visit in Brighton, MA, do so by calling Brighton Family Dental Group at (617) 562-5210. We proudly welcome patients from Brighton, Watertown, Cambridge, Brookline, Newton, and all surrounding communities.