Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Acid Erosion

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Tips on dealing with acid erosion

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For the last 6 years or so I have been dealing with the slight issue of acid erosion on my teeth. It's not really a massive problem, but it can be slightly irritating and can affect my day to day life. I wouldn't say I struggle at all, but I do bear it in mind and I'm sure there are thousands of you out there who put up with it on the daily as well!

What is Acid Erosion?

Acid erosion is essentially where the tooth's enamel has been broken down by acid. It is unfortunately irreversible, although there are some techniques that you can put in place to prevent it getting worse. The enamel protects the tooth, and with it being broken down, the tooth can be very sensitive to certain foods (usually acidic, surprise surprise!) and can cause discomfort in the mouth. 

What causes it?

You may be shocked to find out that it is in fact, acid which causes acid erosion! The two main culprits are stomach acids and acidic food/drink. Stomach acids eroding teeth is usually down to throwing up a lot, as it comes as part of the package. Acidic food and drink is usually the worst offender, with fizzy drinks, fruit juices and wine being the enemy. They definitely are for me! 

How to deal with acid erosion?

Avoiding foods and taking precautions are the ways that I deal with acid erosion. 

Foods and drinks to avoid
  • Fizzy Drinks - diet versions of fizzy drinks are usually more acidic, I *think* it is because of the sweeteners that they use instead of sugar. Obviously sugar is not very good for your teeth either! Diet Coke is definitely something that has negatively impacted my teeth.
  • Fruit Juices - thankfully I'm not fussed about these anyway, but I know that orange juice can be very damaging to your teeth. So do watch out if you're drinking this very regularly!
  • Wine - my teeth are always in a bit of a state after I've been drinking wine. I have found that white wine and rosé hurt my teeth more than red, but I've still found red to be a bit of a pain! As my teeth have been worn down, I get quite purple teeth when I drink red wine now! 
  • Fruit - I very rarely eat fruit anymore, which is a huge shame and I do miss it. As my acid erosion is behind my two top front teeth - biting into fruit is just a big no from me. Apples are the absolute worst.
If you are going to drink these though, my main tip is to use a straw! It helps me so much to limit the amount of acid getting on my teeth. It does unfortunately mean that you have to be that person who always asks for a straw. 

They are the top food and drinks I avoid, or try to limit as much as I can. At the end of the day, I love a good glass of red with a steak and Diet Coke fixes my hangovers. If you suffer from acid erosion, do let me know if there are any other foods you avoid. 

Precautions to take

It goes without saying that going to the dentist is the first place you should be going! A couple of easy ways of finding dentists in your area is through a quick google search or asking for recommendations from friends and family. It was the dentist who first picked up on my acid erosion and gave me advice on what to do about it. They also prescribed me some really good toothpaste, which is called Colgate Duraphat, this is only available through prescriptions though. 

Your choice of toothpaste and toothbrush is very important. I have tried a fair few different brands, but have stuck religiously to the Colgate 360 Sensitive Pro-Relief Extra Soft Toothbrush (£3.99). Every other toothbrush has just been too harsh on my teeth. If I have run out of the Duraphat toothpaste and haven't been able to go to the dentist, then there are two toothpastes that I like and would recommend. The first being the Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief (£3.80) and the second Sensodyne Pro Namel (£4.50). Both of which I have really liked and I don't have a preference between the two. The main priority in looking for toothpaste is finding one that is aimed at repairing and protecting tooth enamel. 

General good oral care is also extremely important in looking after your teeth, with or without acid erosion! One way of ensuring this is doing your research. One website that I have found to be excellent and filled with good advice is ToothStars. The website is a British dental magazine, written by professionals in the field with a huge wealth of knowledge. The website covers many aspects of oral hygiene, from children's oral hygiene, teeth whitening, mouth ulcers to teeth whitening. I particularly enjoyed Essential Tooth Brushing Tips, Five More Myths About Oral Hygiene and Teeth Whitening Health & Safety. There are so many informative articles on there, and I genuinely do believe that knowledge is power! 


I am not a doctor or dentist, so please don't take anything I have written as fact. But that is my experience with my teeth and I hope it may raise a little bit of awareness to the dangers of acid! Please do let me know if you have acid erosion or deal with any mouth/teeth related problems.

Thank you for reading! 

Love, Gweni xxx


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This post is sponsored but all opinions are my own.

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