We have all enjoyed cool lemonades in hot summers or warm lemon water first thing in the morning in our common quest of weight loss. Lemon is refreshing and tasty and pundits extol virtues of consuming a lemon and it is true also. It is a rich source of Vitamin C. It is very nutritious and contains calcium, potassium and the pectin fibre. Lemon if had with warm water is said to promote weight loss and detoxify one’s digestive system. All in all, lemon juice is a beloved of many. But have you ever wondered if it is good for your teeth?
pH of lemon juice
Lemon juice is acidic in nature and it’s pH is around 2. To understand this better let us understand the pH of pure drinking water. The pH of pure drinking water is 7. Anything that has a pH over 7 (on a scale of 0-14 in a pH scale) is considered alkaline in nature and anything lower than 7 is considered acidic. This will give you an idea as to how acidic lemon juice can be.
Lemon juice is bad for your teeth
Because of its acidic nature lemon juice is not a great friend of your teeth. Acids cause erosion of the teeth’s upper most layer the enamel. Once enamel is lost, we can never get it back. Enamel is also one of the hardest things in the body and it protects the roots of our teeth. Once lost our teeth become vulnerable to sensitivity and can also decay or get diseased easily. Lemon juice can severely harm a person’s teeth if consumed regularly.
Does this mean one should never have a lemon or lemon juice?
No way, lemon as we mentioned earlier is very nutritious and is essential for proper growth and repair of the tissues in our body. So no, one must not stop having lemons or lemon juice because they harm the teeth. Instead, we will give you tips on how to consume it safely so that your teeth are not harmed or at least the damage can be minimized as much as is possible.
- It is better to have lemon juice than the lemon itself because lemon juice is diluted with water thereby reducing its acidity to some extent while eating a lemon directly can be harmful for your teeth.
- If you have to enjoy that lemon juice, try to use a straw while drinking the same. This way the juice flows directly into your throat with minimum contact with the teeth. If you drink lemon juice from glass or a bottle directly the lemon juice is going to be swirled around in the mouth and traces of the acid will linger on the teeth surfaces even after you have gulped down the sip.
- If you don’t get a straw and happen to drink lemon juice as is make sure you rinse your mouth with normal water as soon as you finish drinking it so that any residue in the mouth or teeth can be washed away. You can also use a mouth wash but do not brush your teeth at this point. To know more about mouthwash benefits and risks read our blog – ‘Advantages and Disadvantages of Mouthwash’.
- Brushing your teeth immediately after consuming lemon juice is not a good idea because the juice would have weakened the enamel of your teeth and brushing them can damage them more easily so better to wait for 30 minutes or so before you brush your teeth.
- Last but not the least limit your intake of lemon juices and lemon waters if possible.
What are the signs that the lemon juice has harmed my teeth?
In case you are not sure if the lemon juice you have been having all these days has caused any harm here are a few things to look out for –
- Do your teeth look a little yellow or discolored? Enamel wearing off exposes the dentin of teeth which is yellowish in colour.
- Is the outer covering of the teeth looking transparent? Transparency here can mean that the enamel has become weak.
- Have your teeth suddenly become sensitive? If yes and you are feeling the hot and cold sensations more strongly than usual when drinking or eating something hot and cold respectively then there is a possibility that your teeth enamel is damaged.
To just put it out there, enamel erosion can happen not just from lemon juice but other acidic juices and sugary drinks like sodas. Read our blogs – ‘Soda vs Teeth’ and ‘How does sugar affect teeth’ to know how soda and sugar impacts dental health. If you have to choose between lemon juice and plain water then we suggest you pick plain water for your dental health. Also don’t forget to visit your dentist regularly for your checkups.
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Ensure Dental Care is a family dentist near you. Ensure Dental Care is the one of the best family dental clinics located in Saginaw Texas. We also get patients from Fortworth. We accept all major insurance providers. We have an in-house payment plan and accept care credit too. We have a very experienced and professional team of dental practitioners and we look forward to serving you to the best of our abilities. Ensure Dental Care offers emergency dental services. Irrespective of the problem we offer same day emergency treatments. We also offer comprehensive dental exam in Saginaw Tx. We entertain walk ins as well. If you wish to know more about this subject or you want to avail any of our services, please call Ensure Dental Care on 682-213-4114 for an appointment today.
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