Smoothies Aggravate Tooth Decay Say Dentists

Think twice before you reach out for your favorite drink particularly if it’s a smoothie. Dentists say excessive intake of smoothies can cause tooth decay and other oral problems. While fruit content in smoothie makes it an attractive option as a health drink, many are not aware of the high sugar levels in the drink that may cause acid build up that can further erode the teeth enamel.

The British Dental Health Foundation and the company Oral B revealed that around 30% people think fruit smoothies are good for the teeth in a recently conducted National Dental Survey 2008. British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) Chief Executive Dr. Nigel Carter stated that sipping on continuously on these drinks can aggravate the enamel erosion.

Dr Carter adds: "Dental health is often considered to be of secondary importance to other health issues, but the latest scientific research has found strong links between oral health and a range of serious health conditions including heart disease, heart attacks, respiratory disease, strokes, diabetes and low birth weight babies." Considering the poor oral hygiene maintained by most of the people, smoothies are no longer thought of as a healthier option.

Brushing teeth after drinking juice does not help as acid attacks make the enamel weak but brushing before can certainly make a difference helping the teeth to resist the acid build up in a better way.

Improper oral hygiene can trigger decay causing pain and swelling in gums leading to severe gum problems. Gum bacteria are believed to travel from mouth to arteries assisting in fat deposits that may lead to heart diseases. Children are particularly at risk, especially under the age of five, who cannot maintain oral hygiene all by themselves. Most tooth decay cases reported are children under five. Parents are known to encourage smoothie and juice consumption in children thinking it is good for them but actually high sugar concentration negates the goodness of the fruit contained.

Protection and prevention is the keyword. Limit the consumption of sugar based juices and other drinks. Brushing before consumption helps. Also, frequent brushing is helpful. Dentists suggest that the toothbrush be changed every three months and brushing time should be at least two minutes. An electric toothbrush commonly considered as a lazy bug’s tool is actually effective in total mouth cleaning.