Four Tricks to Protect Your Teeth from Acidic Foods

Food is acidic. It’s a fact and even if you’re eating a vegan diet, your pearly whites are going to be in contact with some harmful foods. We could all benefit from a few tips and tricks to protect our teeth.

1. How long the Acid is in contact With Your Teeth

If you like to keep your acidic foods or drinks savoring in your mouth before swallowing, the acid has a bigger chance of damaging your teeth because it stays in contact with your teeth a lot longer.

2. The pH of the Acid

The pH of a substance indicates how acidic it is. The lower the pH, the more acidic. The higher the pH, the less acidic.

3. The Buffering Capacity of the Acid

If you drink a liquid with a low buffering capacity, for example sparkling water, your saliva can quickly neutralize the acid resulting in the pH level of your mouth being brought back up to a place that wont effect your teeth. However, if you drink something with a higher buffering capacity like orange juice, it will take longer for your saliva to neutralize and return to normal acidity.

4. Calcium, Phosphate, and Fluoride Ion Content

The more of these ions that are in our mouth, the stronger our teeth will be.

Extra tips:

• Rinse your mouth out after eating or drinking acidic foods
• Chew gum after consuming acids
• Brush your teeth immediately after consuming acids give your saliva some time to neutralize.

More questions about the effects of acid on your teeth? Book an appointment with Niagara Periodontics!

– The Niagara Periodontics Team