Watch out for acid

But it is not only the sugar content of our food that has to be considered, it is the acid content too. That applies to fruit, juices, soft drinks, fruit teas and of course again to sweets, such as sour drops. Lemon juice, orange juice and apple juice are particularly acidic, and so are cola and lemonade. Light products deserve a special mention here: because of their low calorie content they appear healthy. It should be borne in mind, however, that these drinks are often quite acidic

Fruit and fruit juices are of course to be regarded as healthy foods. But to avoid acid damage to the teeth, the time they are in contact with the teeth and the frequency with which they are consumed should be limited. That does not mean going without these healthy foods, but rather that a fruit juice should not be sipped continuously throughout the day; instead, a glass of juice should be drunk with a meal or as a snack. Using a straw reduces the area of contact with the teeth – protecting teeth can be that simple

What matters is that the saliva has enough time to neutralise the acid and remineralise the enamel. Tooth-friendly chewing gums with sugar substitutes – from a certain age onwards – are suitable during the day to stimulate the flow of saliva and so neutralise the acid from juices after a snack

Direct acid attack

It is not only the acids formed by bacteria from sugars that do damage, but also the acids that occur in foods: in fruit, fruit juices and nectars, lemonades and cola drinks, but also in tomato ketchup and other products such as fruit teas. Fruit acids such as citric acid are often added to foods or confectionery as well

If the contact between teeth and acids is only brief and infrequent, the saliva can remineralise the enamel so that no defects arise. A longer-lasting or frequent direct effect, even without bacteria being involved, leads to lasting damage to the enamel

Tip: snacks

Milk and dairy products, quark, vegetables, fruit or a sandwich are well suited as snacks. Provided no additional sugar has been added, dairy products can even prevent the development of caries

Milk as a food is beneficial because of its calcium content; it does contain milk sugar, but it remains an important food and, because of its calcium content and its capacity to neutralise, is suitable as a snack

Of course it is impossible to do without carbohydrates entirely, since carbohydrates – especially in the form of starch – are an indispensable source of energy in the daily diet

A tooth-friendly diet is in principle a healthy diet as well, since limiting sweetened foods at the same time prevents poor nutrition and overeating with all their consequences