Tooth erosion, what is it?
Acids in the mouth can dissolve away tooth surfaces. Given the chance, teeth will repair themselves, using minerals from saliva. But it acid is in the mouth too often, teeth cannot repair themselves and the hard tooth surface (the enamel) becomes thinner – this is called erosion’. The teeth can then become extra sensitive to hot and cold food and drink. Eroded teeth can also be more likely to suffer decay. The main cause of erosion is too frequent consumption of certain kinds of food and drink. All tizzy drinks (including ‘diet’ brands and tizzy mineral water), all ‘sports drinks, all squashes and all fruit juices’ are acidic to varying degrees. Pickles and citrus fruits are examples of acidic types of food. Some medicines are acidic and, therefore, erosive. And people with some illnesses (such as eating disorders) may suffer from erosion because of frequent vomiting, as stomach acids also erode teeth. For this reason, dentists may ask about eating disorders if they see teeth that are
