Lemonade and tooth enamel erosion?
Posted on July 8, 2010
I have a significant amount of tooth enamel erosion on most of my teeth. I have never had an eating disorder and recently a doctor ruled out the possibility of acid reflux being a cause. When I was around high school age I became obsessed with lemonade. I really drank alot of it. I know that it has been mentioned that sucking on lemons could cause erosion, but what about lemonade?
July 8th, 2010 - 05:38
It’s poooossible, but very unlikely.
If you properly brushed your teeth then the fluoride in the toothpaste will have strengthened the enamel in your teeth.
If you drank lemonade every day…all day…and brushed your teeth once a week then it’s possible.
But I think your dentist’s suggestion of acid reflux is more accurate.
July 8th, 2010 - 05:38
as strong they are teeth are very fragile, a lot of acid is possibly that but i think that the ultimate cause is less care!
July 8th, 2010 - 05:38
I would say if you have ruled out acid reflux, and Bulemia, then acidic lemonade would be a good guess. Also another possibility would be Bruxism, which causes erosion of tooth structures from grinding and clenching. This is a problem for many, many people. We tend to Brux at night while we sleep, but some manage to do this during the day too. Wearing a night time sleep appliance is recommended to protect the enamel. I would also suggest using a prescription level fluoride at night before bed. Your dentist can provide this for you. In the future try drinking through a straw if you develop another craving for lemonade.
July 8th, 2010 - 05:38
There is no question that the lemonade could have caused the problem. I had a patient with a similar problem. She drank a couple of Orange Julius every day at work. She noticed that her teeth were starting to dissolve on the front surface. After some questioning, we determined that to be the cause and she quit the drink and the problem stopped.
This is not to say that the drink was bad, just the constant, daily application of the acid in it caused the problem on this susceptible person. Similar acid drinks, such as lemonade or even carbonated drinks will do the same.
It is always wise to rinse your mouth after having a drink such as that.