Although teeth are the hardest parts of our bodies, they do have one weakness: they can be easily destroyed by acid. Acid is the weapon of choice that plaque use to ruin our teeth and they can be found in many of the drinks that we consume.
The acidity of substances is measured using the pH scale. The lower the pH a drink has, the more acidic the it is. Many common beverages have a low pH, which means that they contain a lot of acid.
Our saliva normally has a pH of right around 6.5, which is a healthy pH for the teeth. When the pH of our mouth gets to 5.5 or below, the enamel on our teeth starts to dissolve. When you drink something that has a pH lower than 5.5, it starts to eat away at your teeth. Of course, you can drink these drinks and still have healthy teeth, there are a lot of factors involved. I’ll get in to a few of them at the end of the list. Here they are:
Nine Drinks that Can Dissolve Your Teeth
1. Sports Drinks – While sports drinks are great for re-hydration, their acidic nature can cause them to be harmful to your teeth. The two leading brand names both have a pH of less than 3.
- Powerade is the most acidic at a pH of 2.75
- Gatorade has a pH of 2.95
2. Fruit Juice – Fruit juice is good for you, but if you have the option, it’s always best to eat whole fruits as they are better for your teeth, and contain fiber to help your digestive system. Here are the pH’s of some common juices:
- Orange juice has a pH of 3.5
- Apple juice has a pH of 3.2
- Pineapple juice has a pH of 3.4
- Grapefruit juice has a pH of 3.1
- Juicy Juice has a pH of around 3.5
- Cranberry juice has a pH of 2.6
- Welch’s White Grape Juice has a pH of 2.8
- Lemon juice has a pH of 2.0
3. Soda or Pop or Coke – Whatever you prefer to call this carbonated wonder, it has extremely low pH levels. Any carbonated drink will have a low pH because the carbon dioxide can readily combine with water to create carbonic acid. Here are some examples of the high acidity of soda pop:
- Coca Cola and Pepsi have a pH of 2.5
- Dr. Pepper has a pH of 2.7
- Mountain Dew has a pH of 2.9
- Sierra Mist has a pH of 3.0
- Squirt has a pH of 2.85
- Sprite has a pH of 3.42
- Mug Root Beer has a pH of 3.9, Dad’s Root Beer has a pH of 4, A&W Root Beer has a pH of 4.3, and Barq’s (even with all of it’s “bite”) only has a pH of 4.6
4. Vegetable Juice – Even healthy vegetable juice such as V8 has a low pH. Vegetable juice usually has a pH right around 4.1. It is the tomato juice that is the main cause of the acidity.
5. Fruit Flavored Drinks – A lot of fruit flavored drinks contain artificial flavors. In order to provide a delicious, tangy taste many manufacturers add citric acid and other acids to their beverages. Here are the pH’s of some common fruit flavored drinks:
- Snapple has a pH of 2.4
- Sunny Delight has a pH of 2.4
- Capri Sun drink varieties have a pH of around 2.6
- Country Time Lemonade has a pH of 2.5
- SoBe Tropical Sugar-free has a pH of 2.5
- Hawaiian Punch has a pH of 2.82
- Hi-C Blast Fruit Punch has a pH of 2.7
- Tang has a pH of 2.7
6. Iced Tea – While normal brewed tea has a pH of 7.2, its “iced” counterpart brings a lot of acid into your mouth.
- Regular Iced Tea has a pH of about 3.5
- Snapple Tea has a pH of 3.2
- Nestea Sweetened Lemon Iced Tea has a pH of 2.97
- Nestea has a pH of 3.04
- Lipton Brisk has a pH of 2.87
7. Flavored www.ativan777.com Water – I used to drink Propel flavored water a lot. It seemed like a better choice than water since it tasted better to me, had zero calories, and came in a variety of flavors. However, Propel water has a very low pH of 3.2 which means it is able to dissolve tooth structure.
8. Wine and Beer – Many wines are quite acidic. A typical sherry-wine has a pH of 3.37. California chardonnay has a pH of 3.4. In general, sweeter wines will have more acid added by the winemaker to balance out the sweetness. To learn more about the pH of wine, head on over to The Acidity of Wine at Wine Perspective.
The pH of beer can range from 3.7 to 4.1.
9. Buttermilk – Buttermilk has a pH of anywhere from 4.41 to 4.83 depending on the brand. It’s not too bad, but since it is below the 5.5 threshold, I thought it was worth mentioning.
What Drinks Don’t Dissolve Teeth?
I know… That list seems a bit intimidating. Maybe it sounds like I want you to avoid drinking anything that tastes good. That’s not true, because even if you do drink these drinks, your teeth wil be fine as long as they are consumed in moderation.
There are a few drinks that aren’t acidic. Coffee, while still slightly acidic, only has a pH of 5.5 so it is just above the threshold where teeth start to dissolve. Of course some coffee beans do approach closer to 5.0 and some are over 6, depending on where they are grown. Milk has a pH of 6.8, while soy milk weighs in at a pH of 7. Of course, water has a neutral pH of 7.
Why Haven’t My Teeth Dissolved Yet?
As I mentioned above, you can drink all of these drinks and still have healthy teeth. The degree of erosion depends on three key factors:
- How often you drink these drinks
- How pH – The lower the pH, the faster tooth erosion occurs
- How long the drink stays in contact with your teeth
I’ll be honest, I love drinking orange juice for breakfast. I love the pulp, and often I find myself savoring it in my mouth before swallowing. Keeping it in my mouth increases the amount of time that the juice has with my teeth, which gives the acid in the juice more time to eat away at my teeth. For this reason, I usually drink some water right after drinking the orange juice to help get the acid out of my mouth and away from my teeth.
How to Reduce Tooth Erosion
Here’s a few tips you can use to reduce tooth erosion:
- Don’t slowly sip acidic drinks. If you are going to drink an acidic drink, do it as quickly as possible to decrease the contact time with your teeth.
- Drink acidic drinks through a straw. By using a straw, you are pushing the drinks directly to the back of your mouth and avoiding some of the contact that the acid has with your teeth.
- Rinse your mouth out after drinking acidic drinks to help flush away some of the acid. Drinking water or milk can help.
- Don’t brush your teeth right after consuming acidic beverages. The acid in the drinks can eat away some of the mineral content of your teeth, leaving behind a soft matrix. Calcium in your saliva can eventually replace the lost tooth structure. However, if you brush right after consuming acidic drinks, you could brush away that enamel matrix, making it impossible for your saliva to repair the damage done by the acidic drink.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that you don’t need to completely avoid the drinks I mentioned above. Moderation is the key.
Do you have any questions, comments, or stories dealing with these drinks and tooth erosion? Share them in the comments!
I always heard that acids were bad for teeth, but I’d never really thought about how much I drink. I am a big fan of lots of the drinks on the list. My dentist said my teeth were starting to wear down and he asked if I drink a lot of acid drinks but I told him no. Now that I know that all of these drinks are acidic, I think I know why my teeth are wearing down. Thank you.
No problem, Ken. Thank you for your comment. I’m glad you figured it out. If you drink these drinks in moderation, then they’re fine. The problem comes when you drink A LOT of them A LOT!
Thank you for the post. I had a few sips of that Powerade fruit punch, and my one tooth is now under extreme pain. I know this must be the reason because it is not a regular part of my diet. Your article here confirms it. I know it will go away, but sports drinks are an absolute joke. The sugar and acidity in them far outweighs any benefits, imo. Lots of water with a banana or other fruit that provides potassium is probably the way to go.
You mentioned Propel. How about Crystal Light? I drink a lot of Crystal Light because it’s not as boring as plain water while also being sugar free and low calorie. I hadn’t given much thought to the acidity of it. (Soda is what typically comes to mind when I think of flavored drinks high on the acidic scale.)
Hi Rachel – The only two sources I found say that it is around 3 – 3.5. In this forum post, a user says it is 3.15 (she claims to have measured it), and on this Answers page, someone guesses 3.0 – 3.5, which I would probably agree with if I had to guess.
Keep in mind that you probably won’t have a problem drinking it in moderation, but if you’re drinking it all the time, it could start to affect your teeth. I hope that helps!
Thanks for your comments, Rachel – Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi, i really care about my teeth… But i HATE water and i am lactose intolerant/soon a vegan which means i won’t be drinking much of any of those stuff…
I drink
Welch
shloer
Aloe vera juice ( Grace or aleo lots of different makes!)
and i also like Vitimin drinks…
do you know if any of these are safe? i drink almost all drinks with a straw/
Crystal Light is sweetened with Aspartame.
Aspartame is highly toxic and at any level is a neurotoxin.
Check it out on any search engine.
Not all toxins are poisons in small doses.
Ask your doctor!
I recently stopped drinking crystal light and was surprised when considerable swelling in my hands which I was experiencing wasn’t necessarily arthritis. I first stopped my Hazelnut “sugar free” coffee creamer and then did a little research on aspartame and decided to eliminate anything with this ingredient and all swelling has subsided. I feel very concerned about disregarding the dangers in this ingredient. “A little bit”, I agree may not give clear indications of hazards but “A little bit” is usually not a standard measure for most people; I thought I used just a little bit, and I was for years and am really glad to have given it up completely, wish I had known about this earlier.
Hi Tom, would you know anything to get the mouth back to an alkaline ph? after consuming large amounts of grape juice (1 liter), and herbal infusions (1 liter).
Not at the same time, but those 2 are very acidic apparently and rinsing afterwards with water isn’t nearly enough. I can’t give up on those because of many reasons (habits, plus benefits, plus what I would be doing instead).
I am taking Vitamin D3 and K2, I try -for as long as I can last- to eat no gluten, minimize phytic acid, and have a good amount of minerals from natural foods (only zinc and copper I supplement).
I am mostly vegan, with ocassional junk foods (dairy and eggs in foods such as pies, etc.) but no meats.
I am not gonna try any of the meat and dairy suggestions of Ramiel Nagel.
I do oil pulling daily, very good for the gums and teeth plus a natural replacement for mouthwash containing chlorhexidine digluconate.
Also flossing and started using an ionic brush, better than regular brush (never tried electric ones though). And just recently stopped using regular toothpaste to cut the glycerin (which coats the teeth).
Have been getting a LOT of cavities drilled in the past year (mainly because of prior terrible habits, like tons of fruits and honey and cereals, etc.) Plus enamel is threatening to go downhill in the future.
Hopefully with some time I will rip some positive results (specially because of D3 and K2), but patience and perseverance are ever demanding…
Regards,
Ary
Hi Ary – As far as getting the mouth alkaline again, you might try a rinse with baking soda and water. The fluoride found in toothpaste can make your teeth so that they can tolerate a lower pH before they get damaged, so I would try to find a way to work that back into your routine (can you find a fluoride toothpaste w/o glycerin?)
I read an article that said that vegan diets do put you at higher risk for decay due to more acidic foods as well as a lack of alkaline dairy products.
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Ary!
I would take issue with the article criticizing vegan products for having less alkaline foods due to lack of dairy.
If I drink water instead of milk I’m actually improving the alkaline profile of my diet since milk is slightly acidic.
I think the important factor here is calcium intake and the general teeth based dietary features such as food and beverages that are not relevant to vegan or flesh diets.
Dear Tom, thanks for the reply. What do you say about flouride rinse? And Xylitol? I’d be open to try those but not sure about how often, if mixed in some combination, and how much. My dentist gave me some flouride rinse to try, but I will find out the price if I start doing it everyday.
Great website, really.
Thanks
Hi Ary – These two articles should help answer your questions:
– Xylitol: What It Is and How It Protects Your Teeth
– The Three Ways Fluoride Protects Your Teeth
I hope that helps – Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks for your comment, Ary!
hi tom 😀 well my son is a 4 year old who is always drinking fruit juice but he really doesnt brush his teeth
i been telling him if he doesnt brush his teeth will become rotten and im really worry his babyteeth was
bleeding yestrday because i saw he brush his teeth soo fast because he saw me holding fruit juice soo
sholud i take him to the dentist ?
Hi John – It would be a good idea to get him to the dentist so they can make sure everything is alright and solve any small problems that he may have before they become bigger ones. Most dentists recommend visiting a pediatric dentist by age 1, so they are used to young children.
hi, so my dauther is doing a science project, she is trying to see which liquid will desolve a tooth faster. we got sunny d., windex, and sprite. how can i measure the result. thanks
You got the drinks, now you just need the teeth. Also remember to use one in water for Experimental Control. Good luck!
Hi. Maybe I missed it, but exactly how long should one leave between drinking or eating acidic fluids/foods and brushing teeth please? Many thanks your kind help.
There is no answer for “exactly”. However, you can use a mouthwash of water or some other product if you want immediate care, or just floss.
Teeth are to chew and begin digestion but clearly food that lingers in our mouth is harmful to our teeth. So, keep food out of your mouth. It seems brushing might contribute to that harm so if anything this puts even more emphasis on flossing and mouthwash and non-brushing methods of clearing food from your mouth.
Also smoking is probably even more hazardous since it dehydrates your mouth thus preventing saliva from doing any repair.
Ari – I might sound dumb, but why does the “iced” counterpart of iced tea, add acid? Isn’t Iced tea just refridgerated? How does that add acid?
If you put ice into tea, then you’re better off than buying an “Iced Tea” product. That is the difference to be respected.
Essentially, don’t buy bottled beverages, just drink water.
The preservatives in bottled or canned iced tea contribute to the acidity
That’s the thing that gets confusing here. I would never call one of those bottled beverages (whether from ‘Arizona’, ‘Lipton’, ‘NesTea’, or whomever else) “iced tea”. To me, in my socio-familial historical context, “iced tea” is a drink that is made by brewing plain (usually black) tea, and then adding ice. That’s it. No flavoring, no nothing. Just brewed tea and ice. And given that definition, I can’t see how adding ice to brewed tea would change the pH level.
Now of course, if you start talking about any of the bottled beverages I mentioned above, then you’re going outside my definition of “iced tea”. You’re drinking something else entirely. Something that’s really no different than the “Snapple” category.
I don’t know, I’d like to see some confirmation on this. Maybe I’ll run a pH test myself sometime.
Hi Mark – If you do run a test, I’d be interested to know the pH of “unadulterated” iced tea. The manufacturers probably add a lot of acid to help flavor their version of “iced tea” and that is what is lowering the pH.
so acidic drinks with a higher ph level distroy your tooth faster or the one with a lower ph level?
at what level is a higher ph level?
another word for neutralize is?
acidic drinks do not have a higher pH. acidic is on the lower end of the scale. a high pH is alkaline. too much alkalinity can be just as damaging as too much acidity.
I would like to pass along this very good information. Could you provide sources?
what about some bottled waters? – heard that Aquafina purified water had a very low PH level – is that true?
Hi Tom,
I just wanted to thank you for all of the information. I have been an avid tea drinker for years and I have also been drinking the flavored seltzer water for years as well. Lately I have been concerned about all of my tea consumption because I notice my teeth aren’t as white as they usually are. I naturally assumed it was all of the tea drinking and I am sure that is what has contributed to the yellowing of my teeth. In searching for info about teeth and enamel, I was really shocked by the fact that tea and seltzer water is harmful to the enamel. I thought that the tea just discolored the teeth but now I have learned that the tannic acid in the tea actually erodes the enamel. Anyway, my question is, “Is there anything that can help restore the tooth enamel”?
OK, thank you again for all the info. I am going to try and start drinking more water and hoping for the best!
Take care –
Rinsing your mouth or brushing your teeth w baking soda as you said MAKES YOUR MOUTH, sinus and Throat ALKALINE and very susceptible to sore throats and colds.
The normal acidity of the mouth somehow keeps you from bacteria (infection?) caused chronic sore throats , colds and sinus issues.
I’m ten and always drink that
I also have temporary composites is it safe to drink soda?
And I think mine is loose too
Hi, I had my thyroid removed in 2010 because of cancer. There were some other fairly important things removed as well but I forget what they are called at the moment. I had the ablation with the radiation and the cancer was gone. Yay! About a year later my salivary glands were, some of them if that’s possible we’re gone or stopped working or whatever due to my body’s elimination of the radiation. This left me with very little spit. I’m on 2 medications that have dry mouth as a side effect on top of the zapped salivary glands. I cannot find alternatives for those meds. During my thyroid problems NO ONE told me ANYTHING about the importance of spit and my teeth. I had no idea to ask either. Sure they told me of calcium issues but then not even anything to do with what that would do to my teeth. Here it is 2012 and my teeth are eroding so bad that there are spaces between my teeth that weren’t there before. I couldn’t afford to go to the dentist until now. I had 5 cavities, big ones, and a root canal in about a year. This seems to be a medical situation on top of a dental but it’s being treated as only a dental. My dentist is great but he really is in new territory with this as all he could tell me was to not drink coffee, juice and soda pop. He had me buy expensive xylitol gum but no real useful daily practical info. Any info would be great. Yes soda is out. Thanks.
Brian, You might need more thyroid medication. Dry mouth is a hypothyroid symptom. I would start researching that, you are right, it is medical, the dental stuff is a symptom, IMO. I have not had thyroid cancer but I did have RAI treatment for Graves. I have suffered from dry mouth and was diagnosed with Sjogrens, but every time I have increased my thyroid meds I always get more saliva. Endos are awful IMO, look for a holistic doc who will treat symptoms even if your labs are normal. Lots of good patient websites out there, just google your symptoms and thyroid. Good luck. Oh what two meds are you on that are causing dry mouth? I bet they were prescribed to treat hypo symtpoms.
Hi thanks for your input. I really appreciate it. The meds I take that cause dry mouth are psychopharmacological. I was taking them long before I had my thyroid removed. I had no unusual thyroid readings etc. My nodules weren’t visible when I went to bed. In the morning the largest one was sticking out like a second Adam’s apple. I had slight dry mouth and no dental issues. The doctors told me that there was a possibility of the radiation “frying” my salivary glands. And that’s what happened. I still have some that work and when I get the right food combinations (basically no salt) and keeing my mouth shut I can have a wet mouth, just not enough spit for talking. Biotene spray and in a tube work wonders. I’ve had my synthroid dose raised several times but it had no affect on the amount of saliva I had. Right now my dose is pretty high so they’ve been keeping it steady at that one dose. As far as chasing down a doctor goes I’ve got nearly a full time job with finding this other doctor, which is nearly a full time job. Yes it’s unfortunate but I have to stay with the endo doctors I do have. Nothing bad has been said about them and they treat me with respect. Money does come into it as well. Them not knowing enough about the dental side of things seems to be one of the many things overlooked. I asked them about it. They pretty much acted like it was something someone else should deal with, mainly the dentist. It’s an infuriating situation. I’m thankful for places like this site to get some feedback, keywords, addresses to other sites and other possible options. I have been more involved in my treatment since I’ve educated myself a bit. Your input is awesome. Thanks again
Brian-
There is a long history of thyroid disease being misdiagnosed as a mental illness. People were committed to institutions and probably still are to a lesser extent! So IMO the PP drugs were prescribed to treat thyroid symptoms. You have probably had thyroid disease for a long time but manifesting mostly mentally at first. This whole website is great but this page is specific to thyroid and mental illness:
http://www.psycheducation.org/thyroid/introduction.htm
Psychopharmacological drugs can themselves affect the thyroid. So your thyroid meds might not be working very well because of the other drugs you are on, which you might not even need to be on because if your thyroid was optimal you probably would not show any signs of mental illness. It’s a neverending circle. See here for more info:
http://thyroid.about.com/od/relatedconditions1/a/lithium_bipolar.htm
Do you have a friend or family member who can take charge of this and help you? I have found it incredibly hard to get my thyroid “right” when it is not right. Because of the symptoms, including brain fog, fatigue, ADD like symptoms. It should be someone you trust, who is smart, will read what they need to, and understand the medical side. Probably even need to go to the doctor with you and advocate for you. And still love you while you are not quite your best self. I also recommend the book The Thyroid Solution by Dr. Ridha Arem.
Good luck to you. You remind me a little of my brother who will not accept help from me. So I hope I don’t sound too pushy, it is a little misplaced, but hopefully helpful to you. See also stopthethyroidmadness.com
Hi Brian,
The “things” that occasionally get removed at the same time as thyroid glands are parathyroid glands. They control the blood levels of phosphate and calcium. On the upside there are usually 4 of them so the odds of having all parathyroid glands inadvertently removed is relatively low, it is occasionally unavoidable if there is local invasion of the cancer. It’s unlikely that you would not have had you calcium and phosphate levels checked to ensure your parathyroid a are still functioning and generally it’s the surgery itself rather than radiotherapy that causes the issue. Though decreased saliva can be a symptom of hypothyroidism this is unlikely in your case as I’m sure you would routinely be having your tsh checked, and this is much more sensitive than just waiting for symptoms and guessing a dose.
The most likely reason you have a dry mouth is from damage to your sublingual and submandibular salivary glands from the radiotherapy. It’s quite common and unfortunately irreversible. What we usually use in hospital is called biotene mouth wash. It also comes in a gel for overnight. It’s available over the counter and is relatively inexpensive. ($10 or so a bottle which will last around 2 weeks). I’m not sure if they have this brand outside Australia but if not ask your pharmacist, they’ll have an equivalent.
All the best, hope it helps.
Tom,
An interesting topic. Re your reply, I would have thought it was the frequency with which you drank this stuff rather than the actual amount. I guess that’s what you meant by a LOT but it’s best to be clear.
On a connected point, I understand why the amount of calcium and phosphate are important in saliva. I also understand that too much calcium and phosphate in saliva can be a problem because it precipitates. But how is the concentration of either or both of these controlled in saliva, rather than the blood? I had a look around and can’t find any info.
I haven’t seen any mention of how sugar in any form can lead to dental caries. The pH of the above mentioned beverages can theoretically cause enamel erosion (demineralization), but what often is a greater concern is the interaction between refined carbohydrates (sugars) and bacterial plaque. When sugar comes into contact with oral bacteria (Strep Mutans) a metabolic product given off by the bacteria is hydrochloric acid. This is the primary way we get cavities in our teeth. So the worst combination beverage would be one that already has a low pH of it’s own and contains high amounts of sucrose. The best way to avoid getting tooth decay with respect to these beverages would be to keep your teeth free of plaque by frequent brushing and flossing and to drink those beverages with pHs greater than 5 or so and that don’t contain refined carbohydrates like sugar. One could argue that diet sodas are better than their sugar-containing counterparts simply due to the fact that they do not generally contain cariogenic sugars. Hope this helps.
It isn’t hydrochloric acid. Plaque bacteria ferment various sugars with organic acids as a by-product. These include lactic acid (mainly) but also formic acid, propionic acid and others.
How not to make my teeth yellow and get rid of the yellow
Very informative, I just visited my dentist after a year, and was told I need to change my diet, it’s amazing how a dentist can tell the state of your health by your mouth. Usually my dentist would say ” you don’t have to see me for another year” and i would dash out of the room as quick as lightening RELIEVED and looking gratefully upwards! but a combination of the wrong type of diet and…… SPARKLING WATER ( of which I thought was a good alternative to plain water) took its toll in a year! I would consume the water in excess! Not moderation. Lesson learnt! Moderation not in excess! Although I do miss my 2 bottles a day, I do value my teeth and shall show them some respect from here on!
Eni Yorkshire UK.
Oh no! I’ve given up soda for sparkling water! It’s THAT BAD???
I sure wish I would of known about Propel 2 years ago! 2 years ago when I was 38 I had healthy teeth with no problems at all & I was very proud of that, but when I went back a year later (now 39) I was complaining of teeth hurting, the Dentist asked if I’d changed anything in my diet, I replied “no, expect I quit drinking soda” I then pointed to the bottle of Propel and said “that’s all I drink now” the Dentist said “that’s good” the Dentist showed me my x-rays & said “this is why I asked you that” my x-rays showed a cavity in almost every tooth!! I was at a lost for words! The Dentist fixed the 2 that I came in complaining about but he said to come back for a consult, 2 weeks later I’m there for the consult, the Dentist told me that with the amount of cavities and how large they are they are recommending I get dentures, DENTURES at age 39! all because I decided to quit drinking soda (when I was drinking diet coke I would only drink maybe 2 a day) now at age 40 I only have 6 teeth on top & 8 teeth on bottom & those teeth are slowly breaking everyday, I haven’t followed through with the dentures because I don’t have insurance to get dentures. I have cried so much over this because I only 40, I’m to young for dentures! & I couldn’t figure out why, I even got a bone scan to see if that’s why my teeth were falling apart, but at least now I know why, I will for sure warn people.
What an interesting website. Found it via Google as doing some research into what’s involved in getting a molar crowned, process, different types, whether it’s painful, foods to avoid during & after treatment, how long they last, what to do if crown comes off (that would be my biggest fear ahead of getting it done as I would be so embarrassed). In my 40s and up until now I have only needed fillings (mine are all amalgam). Had most of them in my 20s but starting to get some problems with sensitivity in those teeth & this is the 3rd one that I have chipped in the last couple of years. Last 2 were treated with a semi-permanent filling and a replacement amalgam filling but there isn’t enough tooth to support a replacement filling in the latest one. Out of curiosity do you have any tips for patients with a high gagging reflex? My dentist often has to stop even during scaling as I gag when suction & other instruments are near the back of my mouth. She and the dental nurse who works with her do their best, but wondering if there is anything I can do to improve that & gag less. thanks 🙂
I am doing a STEM fair project on what drinks dissolve teeth faster-lemonade, Kool-aid, or Coca-Cola. I need some research on this and was wondering if you could give me some advice on where to look or just some of your expertise.
Hi, thanks for the article. I was wondering if you could help me. See, I have very bad genetics teeth-wise & also am unable to properly care for my mouth most of the time, and I have recently developed this thing where I only ever want to drink “Simply Lemonade”, all the different flavors they have (raspberry, mango, blueberry). I tried switching back to juice after having it, but I hate it now. In fact, I feel like the only thing that ever quenches my thirst is this lemonade. I’m afraid though that now it could be doing much more damage to my already very damaged, sensitive teeth. I believe there’s only 10% or so actual “juice” in this brand, but doesn’t that mean it more than likely has the extra acidic stuff added to it to make up for that?
Should I stop drinking this (god I hope not!)? I’m currently actually experiencing an exposed nerve (I believe) due to a filling falling out or a broken part of the tooth, but I was prone to this happening before starting with this lemonade craze I’m in, and I’m worried because suddenly tonight I started experiencing what I can only explain as the worst pain I think I’ve felt outside of how I felt when my lung was punctured/deflated after a surgery I had & nobody listened to me for 3 days about something being wrong. I know pain, too. Especially mouth pain, I’ve had SEVERAL root canals, including an emergency one & I’ve had to have teeth extracted as well from being destroyed.
Suddenly, if I try to suck/swallow the saliva build up in my mouth, or there’s any sucking pressure pulling on the area somehow, it’s like someone is jabbing a horribly sharp, thick needle into the nerves in the upper gum area. Nothing happened tonight to warrant it so suddenly, either…I just suddenly had tried to suck my teeth as I tend to do to get rid of saliva build-up & it was excruciating, as well as surprising. Now if I even do this lightly or the littlest bit, it’s pure hell. I already take pretty hefty pain killers due to other pain, & am allergic to Ibuprofen sadly, as well as recently developed a problem with acetaminophen anti-inflammatory pain killers, so I’m kind of at a loss here right now, since nothing helps so far.
Should I definitely stop drinking my lemonade though? Could it potentially be aggravating this spot as well as damaging my teeth further? Thanks for taking the time to read my comment, I appreciate it & any help you might be able to give me. Right now, I’m just wishing more than anything that I had a clove of garlic….I hear it works wonders in a pinch for this kind of pain. 🙁
What about almond milk and coconut milk? I make a protein smoothie with these in the morning with protein powder, small amount of strawberries or blueberries, stevia, and vanilla. I usually sip on these till lunch time. Would it be better to drink at once?
April – I believe those milks would be fine. As far as the carbonated water, it is acidic due to the carbon dioxide bubbles breaking down into carbonic acid, but I don’t believe it would cause a problem unless your teeth were constantly bathed in it.
One more question: I’ve been reading up on carbonated water which I have been drinking for several years now. I generally have 2-3 a day and sometimes keep one beside bed to drink if I wake up at night. After some things I have read is this too much?
Hi Tom,
Thank you so much for the advice. I’m a declared freshly squish orange juice and eat a lot of fresh fruit. I had no idea the damage I’ve cause my teeth. I do suffer from tooth erosion, my dentist never asked me what type of drinks I drink. He did asked me if I grind my tooth or if I clench my teeth when I sleep. Yes I do clench but not grind. My dentist also mentioned that my tooth erosion was mainly cause by clenching my teeth. I believed that, however now that I’ve red your article it makes complete sense on what is truly causing my tooth erosion. Going forward, I will most definitely rinse after i drink my freshly squish orange juice and reduce my intake as well as using a straw.
I have an acidic ph at all times except of a few hours after consuming baking soda. Foods don’t help get my system out of the acidic state. I am 62 years old and the enamel has worn off so much that the bottom of my teeth appear to be getting transparent. I just realized that someone like me that is normally very acidic probably no matter what is eaten our teeth will still erode. I don’t have bulimia, acid reflux or anything.
I use a lot of lemon juice-on salads, in water , etc. If I rinse my mouth well with water and use a straw for the lemon juice and wait an hour to brush my teeth would that be enough? I don’t want to cut out lemons-it helps my digestion. Yet I have worn enamel for a variety of reasons over many years (I’m 59) and have lost teeth.
Would rinsing with some baking soda in the water help?
What foods can you eat to strengthen tooth enamel if you can’t eat dairy?
Hello,
I get dehydrated very quickly so I have to drink more water than the average person. Last summer I consumed a ton of sparkling water. I have excellent homecare practices, brush 2-3 times a day and floss daily. However, at my dental exam I had 4 areas of interproximal decay, also signs of erosion. I have since stopped drinking sparkling water and now I am drinking peppermint tea (hot, with nothing added). Also, I love China Mist’s Black Passion tea (again, nothing added). My question is is this ok to consume daily, 3-5 times. Thank you.
Hi there. I’ve recently got my braces and I hate plain water so I’ve been drinking Volvic Flavoured Water for awhile and I was wondering whether it is bad for my teeth and braces. Would you happen to know?
Thank you
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Cut all fruit juices out asap! Same with wine. They are dental assassins. Stick with coffee and water. A boring diet indeed. I drink a ton of diet soda, always with a straw. Best route is glass to throat express.
As a Dentist, We will never prefer Soda for Patients, Please stop drinking Soda and high acid drinks like Pepsi, cola, coke classic etc are not good for your teeth.
Very Small amount of Soda/Drinks are preferable instead of large amount as Tom said.
I drink a lot of propel during the night, and I didn’t think much of it because it says water on the bottle. I also didn’t realize that a lot of the drinks I drink are on the list too! What is a good drink to drink at night that is not water and that is not bad for my teeth?
Milk.
Quick question, I have started a cleanse four days ago and drink about 1 and 1/2 cup of Aloe juice a day. I have noticed as of yesterday small pieces of my composite fillings have been coming off. Coincidence or is this the cause ? only other drinks i consume on the cleanse are water and 1/2 a cup of black coffee .
I drink ice tea that is brewed by throwing the bags 3 quarts of cold water it normally sets over nite and then it’s gone.. just ice is added and that’s it.. is there any acidic to this??? Thank you for your time
I think your general saliva PH – what it runs at throughout the day/night- is more important than drinking a few acidic drinks throughout the day. A high baseline saliva PH will counter those acids while a low one will dissolve teeth while drinking milk. I know this ftom experience. I have a constant 5.8-6.0 saliva and my teeth have slowly been dissolving while drinking milk as my main beverage. Meanwhile my brother drinks quarts of sodas per day and doesn’t have any decay. And he is in his 40’s!
I wish dentists would study the nature of saliva instead of the “brush, brush, brush” mantra and “don’t drink soda”. Brushing is just gonna destroy more enamel in an acidic mouth and sodas don’t matter in an alkaline one.
I drink iced tea every day. I use reverse osmosis water and Lipton tea bags (black tea). The ph measures consistently around 6.0. Your article puts it at 3.2. I’m guessing this is referring to some type of iced tea ready to drink product. Of course I could add a small amount of baking soda and raise the ph to 7.0 without any change to taste.
How does adding ice to tea bring down the ph level to a 3.5? I get that the bottled teas have a low ph because of the citric acid added as a preservative but the article states that regular iced tea is a 3.5. Isn’t regular iced tea just brewed tea with ice (which is frozen water, a ph of 7) ?