Photo source, Getty Images
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- reporter, Nazanin Mota Medi
- reporter, BBC Persian
A glass of water or orange juice with fruits can look like a healthy alternative to carbonated drinks.
But scientists have proved that these drinks, including fruit tea, can cause permanent damage to the teeth.
However, it is not just bad news. Researchers at the King’s College London (KCL) with more than 20 years of research have found that drinking time and methods of drinking are very helpful for preventing dental corrosion.
The reporter decided to participate in their experiments and look at the teeth.
Tooth decay
Table of Contents
When we were young, we always heard that we should be careful. I heard that candy or chocolate can make a small hole in the teeth to ruin the smile.
If you eat a lot of sugar, you naturally form bacteria in your teeth, and this bacterium is a hole in your teeth while eating sugar in your mouth. If the hole is not large, most of them can be treated with fillers.
But dental corrosion works differently. The acidic ingredients in food or drinks attack the enamel, which is the outside of the teeth, slowly peel off and damage the dentin.
The enamel protects the light layer inside the teeth, which can no longer be defended if the acid and sugar touches it repeatedly. Once corroded cannot be reversed.
Photo source, Getty Images
“Teeth corrosion is caused by excessive exposure of enamel when eating too much food and drinks with acidic or sugars,” said Dr. Polybios Caralam booth of Kings College London Teeth.
In addition, “left untreated without treating enamel damage can cause color or gold, and the edges can be broken or bumpy. It can cause various problems such as cold and hot and translucent.”
How to protect tooth damage
Dr. Karalam booth used a pH meter to measure the acidity of the mouth while I was drinking orange juice. In three ways, I had a sip of orange juice, turned in my mouth, and had three ways.
To keep your teeth safely, the pH in your mouth must be maintained at 7, which is close to neutrality.
- If you drink orange juice, the pH dropped to 4.7, and it took 18 seconds to return to neutral.
- If the juice had been in the mouth for 10 seconds, the acidity increased, and it took five times longer to return to the neutral.
- When the juice was turned in the mouth, the pH dropped to 3, and it took more than 30 times to return to the neutral.
This experiment confirmed that if you have acidic drinks in your mouth or turn in your mouth, your teeth damage is severe. This is because drinks reach the surface of the teeth with longer or more power.
“To protect the teeth, you should not have an acidic drink for a long time. It is also a good idea to reduce contact with the teeth using a straw.”
The KCL team said that the habit of eating acidic foods or drinks between meals increases the risk of dental corrosion.
A person who drank acidic drinks (soft drinks, lemon water, hot fruit tea, etc.) more than 11 times more likely to have a moderate tooth corrosion.
But when you drink with a meal, this figure decreased by half.
Thus, if you adjust the timing you drink or drink during your meal, you can protect your teeth much better by properly adjusting or immediately after the meal.
What is the most corrosive drink?
The KCL research team compared the effects of four drinks on dental corrosion, including Orange Juice, Coke, Iran (Yogurt without Carbonated Yogurt) and Fruit Car.
When the enamel sample was soaked in a drink for an hour, the same level of damage was observed as drinking three glasses of drink for two days. According to a microscope, the sample corrosion occurred as a dark line.
The result was shocking. Carbonated beverages caused the most severe damage, followed by orange juice, red berry tea, and finally Aeran (yogurt and water). Iran was the mildest drink on the teeth. Iran is a traditional drink in many countries, including India, Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkiye, Iran, and Armenia.
What is the most corroded teeth?
Both acidic foods and drinks can cause dental corrosion. Most fruits contain a certain level of mountains, but citrus fruits are more acidic than bananas and apricots. Examples of high acidic foods and drinks are as follows.
- Pepper
- Tomatoes and ketchup
- kimchi
- Sourcut
- Vinegar and pickles (especially apple vinegar)
- Fruit concentration
- Fruit flavor (for example, water with a piece of lemon)
- Gahyang tea (berry tea, rose hip, ginger lemon tea, etc.)
- Most liquor
- Carbonated drinks (non -sugar carbonated drinks are similar to that drink)
The problem is that many of these foods and drinks are good for health. However, there is a way to enjoy dental corrosion and enjoy it wisely.
- Eating food rich in calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, and milk at the end of the meal, can help you neutralize the mountains in your mouth.
- Chewing the sugar -free gum to increase the secretion of saliva can protect your teeth.
- Instead of fruit cars, it is changed to a low risk of dental corrosion.
- Drink water with cucumber, mint and rosemary instead of citrus fruits.
How common is teeth corrosion?
Dentists warn that dental corrosion is a very common problem worldwide and is rapidly spreading.
According to a 2013 study led by Dr. David Bartleet, the prosthetic chief of the Kings College London Dental College, about 30%of European 18-35 year old adults experienced more than moderate tooth wear.
In recent years, the cross -sectional studies of 2924 people in the same age group in six Arab countries showed higher teeth wear rates.
There were also big differences between countries. Oman (60.7%) was the highest, followed by Saudi Arabia (57.1%), UAE (49.3%), Egypt (32.9%), Kuwait (31.5%), and Jordan (16.5%).
How long is the teeth corrosion normal?
Dr. Karalam booth said, “The dental corrosion is somewhat natural, but it can be accelerated by eating habits, lifestyles, and medical factors (gastric reflux, etc.).”
The dentist can use the evaluation guidelines to determine the degree of teeth. The reason for corrosion is especially worried is that once the enamel is corroded, it will not be regenerated again. Therefore, prevention is the best.
