Acid Erosion and Hypersensitivity?

Acid erosion is now the most common cause of hypersensitivity and tooth wear. Hypersensitivity affects 2 out of 3 people. Sensitive teeth may hurt as a response to hot/cold liquids, sweet/sour foods, or even brushing abrasion. For many patients a change in diet and/or toothpaste can help alleviate this problem.
Acid can come both from outside and inside the body sources. Combining this acid with toothbrush abrasion or tooth grinding can lead to serious destruction of your teeth. Outside sources of acid include foods and beverages that we consume. Inside sources of acid can come from the stomach through vomit, or acid reflux (also known as GERD - which stands for Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease).

Outside Sources of Acid:
The consumption of sodas, fruit juice, and sports drinks in the U.S. has increased by 500% in the last 50 years. It is important to understand that all foods and drinks have varying levels of acids. Acids are measured in levels of pH that range from 1-14. A "1" is a very strong acid like battery acid. A "7" is neutral (the mouth's natural pH ranges from 6.2-7.0). A "14" is a strong base like ammonia. Anytime you sip on a beverage or eat a sour candy that has a pH of less than 5.5, it can deteriorate the enamel of your teeth.

 

Milk 6.4
Cheddar cheese 5.9
Bread 5.5
Tomatoes 4.5
Beer 4.3
Ketchup 4.0
Lemon-lime soda 3.7
Orange juice 3.5
Dill pickles 3.2
Grapefruit 3.0
Coffee 2.6
Soda 2.4
Sports drinks 2.3-4.4
Wine 2.3-3.8
Sour candies 1.6-1.9

 

Sour Candies like Warheads and Sour Skittles are highly erosive. Each time you consume one, the pH inside your mouth drops BELOW 2.3. Every time the pH of your mouth drops below its natural 6.2-7.0, it is then the saliva's job to "buffer" those acids and get that pH back up to normal. That is why when you eat sour candy that there is a huge burst of flavor and saliva in your mouth. The mouth is responding to the MASSIVE pH drop and saliva is released to buffer the acid.
If you are ingesting a lot of outside acid sources - STOP! These are very hard on your teeth and generally contain a lot of sugar which is damaging to your teeth. Remember that Sugar + Acid + Bacteria = Cavities.


If you must consume these beverages. Try to consume them in twenty minutes or less. Sipping on these beverages over a long period of time keeps the pH of your mouth low and allows the acid to continue destroying your teeth.

Inside Sources of Acid:
Stomach Acid is very strong and erosive to the teeth. If your teeth are consistently exposed to it, they will erode rapidly. Anyone suffering from bulimia, women who vomit excessively during the first trimester, or anyone who vomits often will have serious exposure to stomach acid, and their teeth will show thinning of the enamel on the inside of the teeth that you cannot see in the mirror.

Those who suffer from Acid Reflux can be subject to acid coming up into the mouth multiple times during the day, and even more times unconsciously during the night, which is especially dangerous since the body is not alert to release the necessary saliva to buffer that acid. One of every four people who suffer from acid reflux have absolutely NO symptoms. In fact, often as dentists we can see these signs of acid reflux on the teeth first and can recommend you visit your physician or a gastroenterologist (GI) doctor to make sure that you do not have a more serious problem.

Cosmetic Dentist - Tyler, Steven M. O'Neal, Family and Cosmetic dentistry , Tyler, Texas 75703 (903) 561-0533