Patient resources
Enamel starts dissolving at pH 5.5. Most of what children drink is below it.
Erosion is not decay. Decay is bacteria making acid; erosion is acid arriving ready-made in a cup. Both wear enamel, and the second one is the easier of the two to change.
Credentialed by
The Line
Three numbers to remember.
What Is Acidic
Where the everyday drinks sit.
The exact figure varies by brand and batch, so these are the bands rather than a table of decimals we cannot stand behind.
Well below the line
Fizzy drinks, sports and energy drinks, and citrus juices. These sit far under pH 5.5 and are the ones worth limiting to mealtimes.
Around the line
Fruit juices, flavoured waters, yoghurt drinks and many fruits. Fine with a meal; a problem when sipped all afternoon.
Above the line
Water, plain milk and most cheese. Water is the one to make ordinary.
What To Change
It is the sipping, not the drink.
A glass of juice at breakfast and a glass of juice sipped over two hours are very different events for a tooth. The second one never lets the mouth recover.
Four things that actually help.
- Keep acidic drinks to mealtimes rather than between them.
- Water between meals, and water after them.
- Through a straw where that suits, so less of it washes over the front teeth.
- Wait thirty minutes after something acidic before brushing.
The Invitation
We will tell you what we can see on the teeth.
Erosion is visible at an ordinary exam long before a child notices it. Contact Mason Park Dental for Kids in Katy, TX.
- Hours
- Mon and Wed 9am to 6pm
Tue and Thu 8am to 5pm
Fri to Sun Closed
