Dental Erosion: A Silent Killer
by D. Buckley (BOral H, MHServMgt)
More than ever people are trying to preserve and look out for their general and wider health - after all we are living longer! With this comes various diet, lifestyle and health trends intertwined with the need for convenience, time saving and efficient options.
Despite the majority of us wanting to actively improve our health outcomes many are unaware of the serious side effects of an acidic diet on the dentition. Unfortunately, many items that have been linked to significant general health benefits tend to be extremely detrimental to our teeth. This has lead to a condition known as "Dental Erosion" and surprisingly enough most people are completely unaware of the catastrophic and long term impacts on their oral health, not to mention the costs associated with fixing such issues.
Despite this - it can be easily prevented!
What is Erosion?
Basically, it's a type of tooth wear resulting in the irreversible loss of tooth structure due to chemical dissolution by acids. Overtime, chemical dissolution 'melts away' the tooth structure resulting in 'concavities' or 'volcano' like formations beginning to appear on effected teeth. Some become large enough to even place your fingernail into!
Courtesy: Australian Dental (2016)
What leads to erosion?
The most common causes are consistent exposure to acid foodstuffs and substances. The pH scale determines the acidity of substances based on a scale from 1 (Very Acidic) to 14 (very Alkaline). The lower the pH the more acidic the item is. Moreover, increased frequency or repeat consumption of highly acidic items significantly increases the risk of dental erosion on the teeth.
Courtesy: UT203 (2016)
Although great for the body many food choices can lead to erosion of the teeth. See the top erosion contributors below - some may surprise you and we are sure almost all of us could confirm we consume at least one or two of these regularly.
- Lemon Juice - pH 2
- Vitamin C Tablets - pH 2.4
- Coke - pH 2.5
- Balsamic Vinegar - pH 2.6
- Red Bull / V Drinks - pH 3.3
- Oranges - pH 3.3
- Wine - pH 3.5
- Beer - pH 4.0
- Strawberry Jam - pH 4.0
- Yoghurt - pH 4.5
- Coffee - pH 5.0
What are the side effects?
Short term individuals will notice aesthetic changes such as the yellowing of the teeth (as the enamel dissipates and exposes the underlying dentine), small concavities or indentations forming on particularly the front and biting surfaces of the teeth and most commonly tooth sensitivity directly related to the exposure of the dentine.
Long term dental erosion leads to severe structural loss resulting in the teeth 'shrinking' in size, the reduction in facial profile (nose becomes closer to the chin) as the upper teeth now begin to sink over the lower teeth, severe sensitivity and eventually nerve exposure. At this point, the solution can very costly resulting in extensive restorative or cosmetic dental work.
Courtesy: Arizona Dental (2016)
How do I prevent erosion?
Some basic tips to prevent, manage and control acid erosion and hopefully any unnecessary and expensive trips to the dentist:
Limit Intake
Where possible, completely eliminate or at least reduce the frequency of highly acidic substances. Although, many may carry obvious health benefits is the frequent and dangerous exposure worth the risk and cost to your teeth?
Ingredients
Many long life products have been acidulated to assist in 'shelf life preservation'. Read the ingredients of all long life products prior to purchasing and avoid those with 'Acidity Regulators' and 'Ascorbic Acids'.
Rinse
It takes the mouth 20-30mins (even longer if the item was very acidic) to reach a stable environment after a meal or snack. Avoid brushing for at least 30 minutes after any meal or snack and rinse (and spit) until the 30 minute mark is reached. Alternatively, the chewing sugar free gum is a great alternative.
Tooth Desensitisers
If you still consume acidic foodstuffs the use of a tooth desensitiser e.g GC Toothmousse Plus with a built in remineralisation ingredient will greatly assist in managing erosion levels. Remember, erosion results in irreversible loss - you cannot 'regrow' your lossed enamel.
