Normal Teeth Vs. Acid Attack
Not only is enamel the most highly mineralized substance in the body, but it also acts as defensive “shell” that protects your teeth from the damaging effects of acid and plaque. However, unlike your immune system that can bounce back after a crippling blow, enamel doesn’t regenerate. Once it’s lost, it’s gone forever.
Typically, a healthy mouth is sitting somewhere between 6 and 8 on the pH scale, with 7 being considered neutral. As you start to move lower on the scale and things become more acidic, you’re at a higher risk of causing damage to your teeth. To put things into perspective, enamel erosion begins at a pH level of 4. Common household items such as orange juice and soda come in around 3, while some “sour” candy can get as low as 2 – almost the equivalent of battery acid!
Whenever you consume something acidic, you expose your teeth to what’s commonly known as an “acid attack”. Lasting about 20
minutes with each exposure, acid attacks work to slowly demineralize your enamel. What ends up happening is the bacteria in your mouth
reacts with food to produce lactic acid and other harmful byproducts begin to eat away at your teeth.
Over time, if you don’t take proper care of your dental health, enamel will completely erode and leave your teeth exposed.
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