7 Worst Beverages for Your Teeth
The best drink for your teeth is water. Neutral pH, hydrating, and nonstaining. But we know you’re tempted to drink something else from time to time. But if you’re going to drink, do it in a way that’s safe for your teeth. Here’s a list of drinks to avoid or limit if you want to keep your teeth healthy. Soda Soda is the most dangerous drink for your teeth. It’s very acidic (colas have a pH of around three—some even in the range of 2–where pure water is 7 and battery acid is 1), and many people are tempted to sip them all day, day after day. This will eat away your tooth enamel, the white outer covering of your teeth. And if the soda contains sugar, that fuels the growth of mouth bacteria, which excrete acid and can damage your teeth further. Sports Drinks Sports drinks are also very acidic, many of them having a pH similar to or even lower than sodas. And they contain sugars. It’s hard to say whether they’re worse than sodas. Although people don’t usually drink them all afternoon, when they are being used it’s in the context of working out when people are somewhat dehydrated and the mouth environment is prime space for bacteria. Sports drinks have been blamed for workout cavities. Lemonade Lemonade is a similar story to soda and sports drinks. Depending on the source of the lemonade, the pH can be in the 2.5-3 range, and it’s also likely to be full of sugar. This is another very good reason to avoid lemonade cleanse diets, which encourage you to basically drink lemonade instead of eating full meals. These dangerous diets can destroy your teeth as well as harm your health. Mixed Drinks If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably got a clue what we’re going to say here. Most mixed drinks are made with alcohol and soda or simple syrup, which makes them acidic, sugary, or both. Mixed drinks also have the problem of dehydrating you, which means you’ll have less saliva to help keep bacteria under control. It’s okay to indulge every once in a while, but at your regular happy hours, you should get used to ordering “neat” or “on the rocks.” Better yet, order a beer, which has antibacterial properties, is only mildly acidic, and has nutrients that are good for your teeth and bones. Wine Coolers The worst thing about wine coolers is that they don’t have wine. Wine, although acidic, can be good for your teeth. But wine coolers are mostly sugar, water, and acid. With artificial colors thrown in. If you want a cooler smile, just order wine. Sweet Tea It’s likely that tea is actually good for your teeth. Sure, it can be staining (that’s what teeth whitening is for!), but it has antibacterial properties and can even slow the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simple sugars in your mouth, which makes them less damaging to your teeth. But these benefits are completely outweighed if you add a lot of sugar to your tea. And lemon. And don’t drink those bottled teas they sell at the store if they have any sweeteners or flavoring added. Starbucks Coffee is a similar story to tea. Yeah, it’s staining, but it has antibacterial properties and at least one study has linked coffee consumption with lower gum disease rates. But once you add in all the sugar that gets put in one of Starbucks’ signature drinks (or a similar drink at any other place), you’re looking at an entirely different picture. Have a cup of black in the morning, but by all means, you must resist the temptation to drink liquid candy! But if you haven’t heeded these tips and you are now in need of some general dentistry work in the Cherry Creek area of Denver, please contact Ascent Dental today for an appointment.
What to Do When a Crown Is Loose
Loose Dental Crown Solutions If you have a loose dental crown, don’t panic. Dental crowns can last for years, but everything fails sometimes, and coming loose is a common problem for dental crowns. But if you respond properly, it won’t necessarily harm your tooth, and the crown can often be put back in place. The first thing to do when you have a loose crown is to contact your dentist. The sooner you can get in, the better. If your crown is in good shape, it can often be cemented back in place with little trouble, but the sooner you get in, the better. The longer you wait after a dental crown is loose or has come off, the more likely it is that the dentin underneath the crown (which is vulnerable to both decay and wear) will change shape so that the crown won’t fit anymore. If the Crown Is Loose, but Not Off If your dental crown is loose but hasn’t come completely off your tooth, you can try to keep it on a little longer by chewing in other parts of your mouth. This isn’t a guarantee that it won’t come off, but it might help. You need to be very careful in this situation, because the worst thing would be for the crown to come off and have you swallow it. If the Crown Comes Off If your dental crown has come off completely, you can try to secure it in place with temporary dental cement, but never do this without asking your dentist about it first. It won’t last particularly well, but it will hold it in place for many situations. This can be especially important if your crown is in a visible place and you don’t want to have to hide it all day at work or at a special event. Having the crown secured with temporary cement can also protect the dentin against abrasion or decay, and it can make the tooth less sensitive to hot and cold. How to Glue a Crown Back on Before gluing the crown back on, make sure the tooth is free of all debris. The last thing you want is to glue your crown on with a supply of food for bacteria under there where you can’t get it. Once the tooth is clean, consider using an antibacterial rinse. Don’t forget to clean and rinse the inside of the crown, too. Test seat the crown to make sure you have the proper orientation. Then put a small amount of adhesive inside the crown and place it back on. If You Swallow a Crown Since most of the time crowns come off during chewing, it’s not unusual for people to swallow crowns. If you want to recover the crown, you can try to induce vomiting or search through your bowel movements for the lost crown. If you actually swallowed the crown into your stomach, it’s unlikely to cause problems. However, if it got into your airway, you may be in trouble. If you coughed a lot when swallowing the crown or if you feel any chest discomfort or difficulty breathing, you should seek medical attention. The good news is that even if you lost a crown, we can get you a new one in a single appointment with our CEREC system. For help with a loose or lost crown, please contact Ascent Dental, your locally trusted Cherry Creek Dentist. Book a FREE Consultation