Tooth Erosion From Acid
The teeth are extremely vulnerable to many external factors. In order to preserve oral health, care must be taken daily to protect the teeth from eroding causes. Many patients are unaware that there are things other than sugars which can cause damage to the teeth. Acid causes tooth erosion just as much as sugar leads to cavities. By controlling intake, and following a good oral hygiene regime, the patient can prevent tooth erosion from acid.
Most patients are taught by their dentists from a very young age to avoid sugar and to thoroughly brush and floss their teeth after meals, but many times dentist forget to warn their patients of the danger of acid erosion of teeth from dietary sources. This omission is typically due to the omnipresence of acidic beverages available. Many drink sodas to the exclusion of water. Sometimes, patients believe that if they drink diet sodas, they are not harming their teeth, because the drink does not contain sugar, but the dentist should inform the patient that even diet sodas, fruit juices, and sports drinks can lead to tooth erosion from acid contained in the beverage, rather than from any sugar that may or may not be included.
Tooth erosion from acid can be felt by the patient as he begins to manifest symptoms of erosion. These are also easily noticed by a dentist during a routine check up and cleaning. Tooth erosion from acid can lead to sensitivity to extremes in temperature and sugars, cracks, transparency, discoloration, cupping, and rounding. The last two are physical changes to the size and shape of the tooth due to erosion of the enamel. Most patients, though, will seek treatment from their dentist for their sensitivity and discoloration, since a patient might not notice the other symptoms. Once the dentist has be contacted, the patient can learn about lifestyle changes he can take to halt the current and prevent further damage to his acid eroded teeth.
Sodas, fruit juices, and sports drinks seem to be more readily picked up as drink choices than water or milk. Unlike milk and water, acidic drinks act upon the teeth to wear away at the tooth enamel. The reason for this is that the teeth are both hard, but they are also very delicate. The enamel of the teeth is highly susceptible to being worn by acid. Usually, if there is only a small amount of acid taken in, the saliva can help to repair the enamel because saliva contains tiny amounts of calcium, but the amounts of acid in many of today's beverages is too much to be countered by the restorative effects of saliva. This is why acid causes tooth erosion.
Any patient with tooth erosion from acid should lessen or cease his intake of acidic beverages. Water and milk should be the drinks of choice, instead. If a patient continues to drink sodas, he should limit their amount, use a straw, not keep the drink in the mouth, and rinse out the mouth with water after consuming the soda. Sugar free gum could also be used to stimulate saliva to naturally repair the damage from acid. For sensitive teeth, the patient needs to use a soft bristled brush with an ADA approved toothpaste. By taking these steps, the patient can lessen and halt the damage done by tooth erosion from acid.
