5 Best Drinks for Your Teeth

The Effects of Drinks on Your Teeth

Brushing your teeth twice daily and flossing after meals alone cannot guarantee your oral health. What you eat and drink is important to your oral health. Drinks that you consume regularly can either be damaging to your teeth or beneficial.

Tooth decay, cavities, teeth discoloration, sensitivity of teeth and chronic gum diseases are just a few of the harmful effects of certain drinks on your teeth. However, consuming some drinks can actually be beneficial to your teeth and your overall oral health.

Factors that determine whether a drink is safe or harmful to your teeth

1. Sugar levels

Consuming sweetened drinks could cause cavities in the teeth. Sugar in the drink does not directly cause your teeth to decay. Instead, sugar enhances the harmful bacteria in your mouth to produce acid which in turn attacks the enamel of your teeth making it erode. Continuous acid attack on the outer surface of your teeth leads to tooth sensitivity and tooth decay.

2. Acid levels of the drinks

Some drinks contain high levels of acids which attack your teeth enamel making them lose their essential minerals. This weakens the enamel leading to wear. Once the outer surface of your teeth is no longer there, your teeth become prone to teeth decay and tooth sensitivity.

3. The dyes in the drinks

Dyes contained in certain drinks and beverages could stain your teeth. Therefore, these drinks may not be favorable for your teeth if you are looking to have bright and whitened teeth.

4. Drying effect of a drink

Taking certain drinks could cause your mouth to dehydrate. An adequate and continuous flow of saliva into your mouth is essential for defense against harmful bacteria, acids, and sugars. It cleans your mouth and supplies essential minerals to your teeth especially during remineralization of your enamel.

5. PH value of the drink

Drinks that have a low PH value could be harmful to your teeth since they contain a high concentration of acids. However, drinks with a PH value above 6.5 can be beneficial to your teeth and help make your teeth strong.

Drinks that are Harmful to Your Teeth

1. Coffee and tea

Frequently drinking black tea and coffee can stain your teeth. The dyes contained in these drinks can build up on your teeth causing teeth discoloration by latching onto the enamel. Coffee and tea contain a lot of caffeine, but it may be best to find your caffeine elsewhere if you want those pearly whites.

2. Wine

All wines contain strong dyes, but red wine, in particular, will stain your teeth if consumed frequently and if it isn't brushed off immediately. However, white wine is known to be more acidic than red wine and therefore can cause tooth decay. Avoiding wines may be best.

3. Alcohol

Alcohol causes your mouth to dry. Saliva is essential to your mouth’s defense techniques since the adequate and continuous flow of saliva into your mouth helps clean your mouth, and supplies minerals which help in the defense and healing process. Therefore, an inadequate supply of saliva into your mouth can do your teeth more harm than good.

4. Sugary drinks

Sugary drinks contain a lot of sugar. The sugar in these drinks stimulates the harmful bacteria in the mouth to produce acids which attack your teeth enamel, eroding them, causing tooth decay, and even the loss of teeth.

5. Fruit juice

Fruit juices are known to contain a higher concentration of acids than even the actual fruits. These juices are therefore likely to cause tooth decay especially if they are made of fruits that are high in acidic or contain additives.

Five drinks that cannot harm your teeth

1. Water

Water is very essential in our bodies as it helps prevent dehydration. With every drink of water, your mouth gets hydrated which helps in production of adequate saliva. Saliva helps to clean your mouth, protect and repair teeth enamel. Water rinses off any food particles left after meals including acidic and sugary foods. This protects your teeth against cavities and gum diseases. Water that contains fluoride helps in protecting and repair of the enamel and strengthening your teeth.

2. Vegetable juices that are low in sugar

Vegetables are an essential part of your balanced diet that you should never miss. Dark green vegetables such as spinach and kale contain vitamin B and calcium which helps fight gum diseases and strengthens your teeth.

3. Milk

Milk contains a variety of minerals that are essential to your teeth. Calcium in the milk helps strengthen your teeth while the proteins prevent gum diseases. Calcium and phosphorus help in the repair and strengthening of your teeth enamel after acid attacks occur.

4. Tea

Unlike the dark tea which stains your teeth, clear or green will rinse your mouth of any food particles protecting your teeth against cavities. Clear or green tea also stimulates excretion of saliva which is essential for your teeth and the overall oral health.

5. Real fruit juice

Since not all fruits are acidic, blended juice from natural fruits that are acid-free, and contain no additives are not only harmless but also essential to your teeth and your overall health. Since you can blend juice at home, you do not have to buy it since the packaged bottle may contain additives and sugars that are harmful to your teeth.

While not all drinks are harmful to your teeth, you can still quench that thirst that you hate so much with a drink that will also benefit not only your teeth but also your overall health.

Request an appointment here: https://www.mytotaldentistry.com or call McCarthy Dentistry at (740) 546-5178 for an appointment in our Marietta office.