The truth is that we all do things that we know we shouldn’t. Yet, I think that if we all knew the facts about how easy decay can access teeth, we just might change habits. Yes I am trying to scare you into good behavior.
Things you should know:
An acid attack on your teeth lasts about 20 minutes. Enamel eating acid is in soft drinks, regardless of if the drink is sugar-free or not. If there is sugar in the drink, the bacteria in your mouth feeds off of it and makes—enamel eating acid. THE ATTACK STARTS OVER WITH EVERY SIP! You could be literally having an attack all day if you sip all day long. Scared yet?
Your best defenses:
For those of us that have the all or nothing mentality—your best mode of retaliation is to drink water—no acid, sugar, or calories. A simple offense strategy is to brush, floss and practice good hygiene—bring in the big guns with an electric toothbrush. Get regular check-ups and cleanings so that the professionals can remove plaque (aka bacteria build-up).
Here is what I am saying, if you love your soda or sugary coffee and can’t bear to cut it completely out—go right a head, but you better chug it. No more sipping! Please, stop the attacks against your teeth. Don’t let the acid and bacteria bully your precious little teeth—only you can defend them. But, if you need your drink a few times a day—use a straw to keep the sugar and acid away from your teeth. Then you should swish your mouth with water to rinse any rouge sugar and acid that might be trying to attack and decay your teeth with out you knowing. Whatever you do, do not drink juice, pop, or anything sugary before bed—that is exactly with these teeth-eating-evil-forces want. They want to coat your tongue and teeth, and pool in your mouth as you sleep, while you are unable to hear the screams of your enamel.
By: Marija Ugstad Source: www.mndental.org
