WHAT DAMAGES TEETH?
1. Sugar:
Sugar is metabolised by the bacteria in dental plaque and as a by-product acid is produced.
It had been well-documented over the years that there is a strong link between sugar and dental disease. The damage caused is related to the time the sugar is present. There is usually some form of sugar in every meal and we encourage every one to brush their teeth carefully after every meal and to avoid snacks between meals.
Hidden sugars in the diet include ketchup, pasta sauces and fast food. When white bread is chewed after about 40 seconds the starch is converted by enzymes in the saliva to sucrose and this is why it tastes sweeter.
2. Fizzy drinks
Fizzy drinks, ice pops and fruit juices, all contain acid which dissolves the enamel of the teeth. Even sugar-free drinks can be damaging.
Because there are vitamin benefits from drinking fruit juices, we recommend using a straw of the type that can be bent. If this part is brought to the back of the mouth much of the juice can be taken in without touching the teeth. Teeth should be rinsed with water. It is worth noting that if the teeth are brushed straight away after swishing juice around the mouth, the enamel gets brushed away as the crystals are in a more friable state. If left for 20 minutes and then brushed the saliva, which is a buffer, has time to neutralize the pH and then the teeth can be brushed safely.
Sugar-free chewing gum helps to stimulate formation of saliva which accelerates the neutralization of acid. In any event if you are taking a fizzy drink it is best to have it at mealtimes.
3. Hard things
We suggest our patients avoid hard nuts, seeds, pork crackling and even some muesilis are quite hard. The most common cause for an incomplete fracture is masticatory or accidental trauma .For instance, unintentional biting with physiologic force on a small very hard object such as a seed may suddenly generate an excessive load due to the very small contact area. As a consequence, the loaded tooth may split or fracture. We recommend our patients to use a pestle and mortar to crush nuts and seeds and to leave milk on muesli longer to soften the nuts and seeds.
CORRECTION OF HABITS THAT DAMAGE TEETH
Occasionally as patients get older, some teeth start to crack, break or even worse split. This usually means that the teeth are being subjected to abnormally heavy loads. Patients are often unaware that this situation can be halted. In these cases it is best that we intervene to prevent further damage being done to the teeth and restorations (viz. fillings and crowns). The earlier this is rectified the better for the patient, as it prolongs the life of all the teeth in both arches. Such intervention is yet another preventative measure.