At Lakeshore Dental Care, we want you to smile with confidence. What you drink can impact your smile in a major way. Here are some the things to keep in mind when choosing your next beverage.
Sugar
You have probably been told that sugar is bad for your teeth. While this is true, there is more to it than you may have heard. The sugar itself doesn’t cause the damage to your smile, it’s the bacteria that live on your teeth that are the problem. These bacteria feed on the sugar you consume and produce lactic acid which breaks down your enamel.
Many popular drinks contain large quantities of sugar. These include soda, sports drinks, juice, coffee, and tea. Outside of sugar, there is another aspect these drinks have in common. They are acidic.
Acid
Just like lactic acid produced by bacteria, the acid found in beverages breaks down enamel and attacks your healthy gums. Whether it’s carbonic acid found in carbonated beverages or citric acid found in juice, they all work against your goal for a healthier smile.
It is easy to think that drinks such as clear soda or white wine aren’t as bad for your smile. This is not the case. While it is true that darker sodas and red wine may stain teeth easier, their more translucent counterparts still lead to staining. The acid in these drinks tends to break down your enamel, leaving your teeth wide open for staining from dark-colored food and beverages.
Solutions
The great news is that there are many things you can do to mitigate damage caused by sugary and acidic beverages. Here are some effective solutions you can employ to achieve a healthier, more attractive smile.
Water
One of the easiest ways to prevent these drinks from harming your smile is to replace them with water. We understand that it can be hard to just drink water. That said, even replacing one or two of your daily beverages with water every day can have a significant impact on your smile.
Outside of not exposing your teeth to sugar and acid, drinking water helps to wash away harmful debris that may have stuck to your smile. These drinks can sit on teeth for a long time so rinsing them away is a great strategy.
Milk
Besides water, milk is the second best thing you can drink for your smile. Milk is high in calcium which is important for strong teeth. In addition, milk and dairy products, such as cheese, contain proteins called caseins that coat your teeth and protect them from acid-producing bacteria. While milk does contain natural sugars, regular dental care makes it a non-issue.
Maintain Dental Care Regimen
Brushing twice every day as well as flossing once daily is absolutely vital to maintaining a healthy smile. Additionally, regular bi-annual checkups are important in order to remove plaque that has built up in places that you can’t reach with normal brushing and flossing.
Whitening Treatments
If your teeth aren’t the shade you want them to be, we have a variety of teeth whitening treatments to give you the stunning smile you’ve been dreaming of. Our Hamburg dentists will work with you to find the whitening option that best meets your needs.
Schedule Your Next Visit
At Lakeshore Dental Care, we believe every patient deserves to smile without a second thought. We provide a variety of services ranging from hygiene and orthodontic treatments to dental implants and night guards. We are dedicated to providing patients throughout Hamburg with the excellence in dental care that they deserve. Schedule your next appointment today.