OPEN WIDE....Part Three
THE MESSAGE: STRESS AFFECTS THE MOUTH
The protective enamel coating on our teeth is formed between birth and age 16. "After that, it's subject to the insults we deliver - stress, grinding and acidic food and drinks," Tomkin says. Acid erosion is starting to show up in younger patients, says Veisan. She wonders if new diets, bad habits or acidic drinks like juice, pop and coffee are to blame. "When I think about those sugary coffee drinks, it's like a double whammy," she says. "You're getting plaque-inducing sugar from the flavoured syrup and acid from the coffee." Acid wear causes sensitivity in the short-term and may put teeth at risk for greater damage.
THE LESSON:
While it's impossible to completely avoid acidic food and drinks, there are a few tricks to minimize its damaging effects: avoid brushing teeth for at least 20 minutes after acidic offenders like coffee and citrus fruit. "Otherwise you're accelerating the danage by rubbing the acid directly into the teeth," Tomkins says. Instead, rinse the mouth with water. "In Italy, they always serve espresso with a glass of water - they must know something," Veisman says.
The protective enamel coating on our teeth is formed between birth and age 16. "After that, it's subject to the insults we deliver - stress, grinding and acidic food and drinks," Tomkin says. Acid erosion is starting to show up in younger patients, says Veisan. She wonders if new diets, bad habits or acidic drinks like juice, pop and coffee are to blame. "When I think about those sugary coffee drinks, it's like a double whammy," she says. "You're getting plaque-inducing sugar from the flavoured syrup and acid from the coffee." Acid wear causes sensitivity in the short-term and may put teeth at risk for greater damage.
THE LESSON:
While it's impossible to completely avoid acidic food and drinks, there are a few tricks to minimize its damaging effects: avoid brushing teeth for at least 20 minutes after acidic offenders like coffee and citrus fruit. "Otherwise you're accelerating the danage by rubbing the acid directly into the teeth," Tomkins says. Instead, rinse the mouth with water. "In Italy, they always serve espresso with a glass of water - they must know something," Veisman says.
