Whether you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment with traditional braces or with Invisalign invisible braces at HGS Ortho, your Richmond orthodontist or your Port Coquitlam orthodontist, it’s very important to care for your teeth and protect your enamel. One of the most common ways that individuals can destroy their enamel is through choosing beverages that are high in acidity.
The pH – or the measure of acidity – is a great way to know whether a beverage can harm the health of your teeth and weaken your enamel. The lower the pH number in a beverage, the more acidic. Acid can easily erode your enamel and create little fissures in your teeth that can easily lead to fractures, chips, cavities or tooth decay.
Just how can you protect yourself from acid erosion?
- Contact your dentist for a regular cleaning and health check.
- Know the pH number of popular beverages and make your choice accordingly.
- Sip through a straw as often as possible.
- Rinse your mouth immediately after drinking a beverage high in acidity to lower your chances of enamel erosion.
A pH of 7 is neutral – water is the best and healthiest! choice, followed by milk at 6.8. Anything with a pH of 5.5 and under can easily dissolve your enamel so keep that in mind when picking your next drink to enjoy:
coffee: 6.25 pH
tea: 5.36 pH
root beer: 4.8 pH
Sprite: 3.27 pH
Mountain Dew: 3.14 pH
Gatorade: 2.95
Ginger Ale: 2.94
Coke: 2.48
Pepsi =: 2.46
If you enjoyed this blog post from HGS Ortho, your Richmond orthodontist or your Port Coquitlam orthodontist, please consider sharing it with your friends and family.
For more orthodontic care tips, sign up for our weblog or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
