By now you are already familiar that what you eat and drink not only affects your overall health, but it can also affect your oral health including your teeth and gums.
Beverages have several effects on your oral health but it typically depends on a few things, but most of the time, the damage or good a beverage is doing to your teeth comes down to their acidity levels.
For instance, any beverage that has at least 5.5 or less pH value, it is considered acidic. And when you drink or eat acidic beverages or foods, it can soften the enamel which can result in sensitive teeth, leaving your teeth open to damage.
Moreover, drinks that have a significant sugar portion can also pose several threats to your teeth. Do you know what you are drinking? We at Viteralli Dental recommend that you drink beverages with caution.
Knowledge is your best friend when it comes to protecting your teeth and gum from potential damage. This list consists of common beverages and how they affect your teeth – both in good and bad ways!
Beer – Somewhat Good
- It may be surprising to hear, but some evidence suggests that beer is actually beneficial for your teeth. There isn’t much data available but researchers say that hops in the beer have a positive effect on teeth and gums.
As surprising as this may sound, beer can also protect your teeth from cavities. However, this does not mean that you excessively drink beer because alcohol in this beverage still poses several threats to your overall health if not taken in with caution.
Water – Neutral But Helpful
- Water does not affect your teeth in good or bad ways. However, if you are living in an area that has water with fluoride in it, then it provides you a significant benefit by protecting the enamel of your teeth.
When you drink a lot of water and stay well hydrated, the flow of saliva is significantly improved in the mouth. When saliva flow is good, it can help remove harmful bacteria from your mouth. Saliva also makes it possible to protect your teeth from decay because it may spread protective minerals within your mouth to help protect your teeth and gums.
Soda – Bad For Your Teeth
- As you may have guessed already, soda and other beverages containing high amounts of sugar are bad for your teeth. What you may not know is that even sugar-free variants are bad for your teeth.
According to research, the enamel dissolution occurring from sodas, whether regular or sugar-free, is pretty much the same.
- What effects your teeth is the acidity level of the drink and because soda drinks can be acidic, they can pose a threat to your teeth.
Fruit Juices – Good and Bad
- Whether fruit juices do good to your teeth or bad, it all depends on the pH level of the fruit beverage you are having. For instance, orange juice has a pH of 3.5 while cranberry has a pH of 2.6.
So next time you are drinking fruit juice, make sure it isn’t high on acidity level!
Milk – Best for Your Teeth
- Milk is really good for your teeth. The proteins and minerals such as calcium in milk can help protect your enamel as well as make your teeth strong and healthy. Milk also prevents the growth of several cavity-forming bacteria in the mouth.
Dentists recommend drinking milk every day for stronger teeth, especially for young individuals who are still in the growing phase.
With regular brushing and flossing, and routine dental checkups and cleanings with your dentist, you can easily protect your teeth and gums from damage. Keep a good eye at what you are eating and drinking and you’ll enjoy a beautiful and natural smile for a long time to come.