Dr Viren Vithlani, Specialist Periodontist and  leading provider of oral hygiene products at MyMouth, commented, "When acidic foods and beverages are consumed, the pH is tipped, creating an imbalance that demineralises tooth enamel. The tipping point is when PH levels drop below 5.5 and cause a thinning of the enamel, potentially exposing the dentine. Some acidic foods and fizzy drinks can inflict erosive damage to teeth due to their acidic content and potentially cause decay due to the sugar content, which is public enemy number one for dental health. However, there’s an entire spectrum of acidic beverages that lower the pH in our mouth. They interrupt the mineral exchange that occurs on the hard outer shell of your teeth known as tooth enamel – disturbing the equilibrium of minerals such as calcium and phosphate, leaving the enamel weaker.

During a meal, we decrease the pH of our mouth making it more acidic and our tooth enamel begins to lose minerals. Once the meal is finished, our saliva is designed to re-establish the pH balance and assists in pushing minerals back into the teeth. It’s important to neutralise acidic food and drinks and simple ways include rinsing with water afterwards and using a fluoride mouthwash daily. Reducing the frequency of acidic food and drink also helps and avoiding acidic things at night time. Don’t brush straight after having acidic things to avoid rubbing the acid in! Of course it’s important to still continue your oral hygiene routine like interdental brushing and flossing, and cleaning your tongue with a specialist cleaner like the JiBee.

If we consume foods or drinks that are acidic in nature too frequently our saliva doesn’t rebalance these minerals and may result in tooth erosion. Even the acidity of mineral waters can be high but one thing in their favour is that the mineral composition seems to have somewhat of a protective effect for tooth erosion. Compared to soft drinks, mineral waters were much less erosive. Some fruits are also more acidic like grapefruit, pineapple and citric fruits such as apples and oranges. Don’t forget to keep up with your regular dental check-ups to ensure you’re not at risk of acid damage.