Teeth and Jaw Problems: Finding Answers for Your Pain

Posted on: 23 June 2018

Your dental health depends a lot on your diet, and that includes not only what you eat but also what you drink. Surprisingly, many healthy beverages and even those that are at the forefront of health trends, such as acidic kombucha, kefir, and apple cider vinegar drinks, may have damaging properties in some instances. Here are three ways these acidic beverages could damage your teeth if you're not careful.

Weakening the enamel

Kombucha is, by all accounts, a wonderful source of probiotics. And if you know anything about your oral microbiome, you probably know that your mouth can always use more beneficial bacteria. In fact, some experts are optimistic about the possibility of using regular additions of good bacteria to crowd the acid-causing bacteria out, thus reducing the acid erosion in your mouth.

So how could kombucha possibly harm your mouth? Well, the key is acid erosion. This process weakens your enamel. Weaker enamel is more likely to crack, chip, or break altogether.

Slowing the remineralization process

Your teeth suffer some acid erosion after every meal, as the minerals in the enamel can more easily leach out from the enamel into an acidic environment. It's important to keep your mouth more alkaline (not highly alkaline, but about neutral PH) most of the time because it's easier for the teeth to re-absorb minerals in a more alkaline environment.

If you're frequently sipping an acidic beverage, this process will be harder to accomplish, meaning your teeth will have a harder time trying to recover from normal wear and tear. So if you drink an acidic health beverage, the best way to do it is all at once, so that your teeth can start to recover from the acid attack immediately instead of being hit again and again with each sip.

Causing cavities

Weak enamel eventually leads to cavities, and unfortunately, acidic foods and drinks can hasten the process. In fact, kombucha and apple cider vinegar can both be within the PH range of stomach acid (although their PH tends to vary a bit). If you've ever seen cavities caused by acid reflux, you know that this isn't healthy for your teeth. The longer such acids sit on your teeth, the more likely they are to erode all the way through the enamel and cause a cavity. Although these health drinks are more likely to accelerate tooth decay in a more roundabout way, unlike acid reflux, the resulting cavities can be just as painful and damaging to tooth health.

In conclusion, these beverages can have highly destructive effects if allowed to sit in your mouth and on your teeth. You can still enjoy their benefits, but try to drink each dose all in one go and then rinse your mouth with water or a neutralizing mouthwash such as one that contains baking soda. This will help your mouth recover its normal PH levels quickly. If you suspect that your drinks have caused issues, visit a dental services provider as soon as possible.