You may not know it but your diet can affect the health of your teeth in more ways than you might think. Traditionally we think of foods with high sugar contents as being the only culprits that can affect the health of our teeth but there are others. With the advent of "power or energy" drinks there has been a marked increase in the number of people's teeth being damaged by these types of drinks. We are seeing it primarily in children because of their frequent consumption of drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade at their sporting events. These drinks do not contain high levels of sugars but instead they are highly acidic, and it is the low pH of the drink that is doing the damage. We often see the affects of these highly acidic drinks on teeth in the form of deep pitting of the teeth and erosion of the enamel. The damage can sometimes be quite extensive. Certain foods if consumed regularly can also affect the enamel of one's teeth. In our office we have seen people's teeth completely destroyed as a result of habits such as sucking on lemons. Lemon's are highly acidic and will erode tooth structure over time if eaten in inappropriate manners. Some people enjoy eating lots of citric fruits or even sucking on them, but the results of these habits can be very devastating to the teeth. We're not recommending you avoid all foods that are acidic but moderation is the key. As for the energy drinks that are so prevalent these days these are best kept to a minimum. Below is chart showing some common foods and their accompanying acidity levels.
Experts believe that consuming as few as four acidic drinks or foods a day can increase the risk of acid erosion to your teeth.
About the author: Dr. Anthony Dailley is a practicing general dentist in Berkeley California. He has been practicing since 1981 and graduated from San Francisco State University with a degree in Cell & Molecular Biology, and obtained his dental degree from the Pacific School of Dentistry. Dr. Dailley has also been a founder in a biotech company called NovaBay Pharmaceuticals and was a member of their board of directors from 1997 -2014.
