Are Juice Cleanses Bad For Your Teeth?

. Posted in Dental Hygiene

Juicing & Your Oral Health

The latest juicing trend has completely taken off with more and more people jumping on the bandwagon. You can barely turn on your TV without an advertisement for some kind of juicer! While there are many benefits of boosting the amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet by consuming these juices, we have a few concerns; particularly when it comes to your dental health.

Often these juices will contain high quantities of sugar which can contribute to tooth decay. Fructose, the sugar found in fruit is a common cause of cavities as oral bacteria feed on it, and should be only consumed as part of a balanced diet. This combined with the acidity of the juices can lead to dental issues, especially if taken long term.

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The juices may contain high acidity levels, which can cause damage to or erode your tooth enamel in the same way cola and other “soft” drinks can, and saliva may not have the opportunity to restore neutral pH in the mouth. Erosion of your enamel may expose the dentine layer of your teeth and even increase your tooth sensitivity.

We suggest that if you are going to start a juice cleanse or diet be aware of the possible affects it could have on your oral health. You can lessen the impact by:

  1. Using a straw when drinking
  2. Chew sugar free gum
  3. Don’t savor your drinks for too long or ‘swish’ them around your mouth

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The Last Straw:

Using a straw will help you swallow your juice without as much chance of acid erosion on your teeth as less juice will come into contact with the surface of the tooth.

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Chew It Over:

Sugar free gum will help increase your saliva levels, bringing down the PH of your mouth and limiting damage to your teeth.

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Get Your Juices Flowing:

Don’t drag out the process of drinking your juice by slowly sipping it all day or swish it around inside your mouth. This extends the time the teeth are exposed to acid and doesn’t give your saliva a chance to rectify your mouths PH.

And it goes without saying that looking after the health of your teeth must include regular brushing with quality toothpaste, daily flossing and regular visits to your dentist!

If you need any advice on your oral health please contact us today!