Exercise and Acid Wear

It might sound strange - but the healthier we are, the more prone we are to acid wear. How is this so?

Both diet and exercise are major contributors to acid wear. Living a healthy lifestyle where these two factors play an important part of our everyday lives, can make us more susceptible to acid wear.

In terms of diet, many of the foods and drinks we associate with a modern diet have a high acidic content which can temporarily soften the surface enamel of our teeth.

Items that sit at the top of the acidic substances list include fruits and fruit juices, along with salad dressings. The more acidic the product, the greater effect it has on our teeth.

Exercise can lead to dehydration and as a direct result a lower level of saliva production. Saliva is the body’s natural defence against acid wear as it acts as a buffer helping to neutralise the acid within the mouth. When dehydrated we remove our body’s natural acid wear defence due to a lack of saliva production.

Sports drinks, which are also highly acidic, can also encourage acid wear.

Being acid ‘a-wear’ – and following the recommendations on how to reduce acid wear, can help stop the wear and tear of teeth from getting worse.

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Acid wear and our children

A child’s developing teeth are softer than mature adult teeth and can therefore be impacted by acid wear more severely. With the increased popularity of soft drinks in today’s society children are consuming more acidic drinks.

The effects of acid wear on children's permanent teeth may compromise the development of a growing child's teeth and arrangement within the mouth. This can lead to a lifetime of issues which require repeated and increasingly complex and expensive ongoing professional dental attention.

It is important that the diagnosis of tooth wear in children is made early so that adequate prevention measures can be implemented. Acid wear is not selective. It is a condition that can affect the entire family and its severity depends on each family's lifestyle habits

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Health and Wellbeing

Family Health and Acid Wear

According to the 2009 PRONAMEL® National Oral Health Survey, Australians have a high standard of oral care.  

As a nation, we practice good dental care habits - brushing on average 1.8 times per day, flossing every second day, and using mouth wash every two 2 – 3 days.

Although this is great news, our dentists warn that we have a new dental condition on the horizon that we must be aware of: acid wear.  Over 60% of dentists surveyed believe that if this situation isn't addressed, acid wear will become a lot more severe in the near future.

Acid wear is a growing problem that contributes to the everyday wear and tear of teeth. When tooth enamel is exposed to acids (from food, drinks or the stomach), the tooth enamel becomes temporarily softened making it vulnerable to wear.

Acid wear can affect the appearance of teeth causing changes in lustre and texture, and increased translucency. When left unmanaged, acid wear can develop into acid erosion which results in the permanent loss of tooth enamel.

Acid wear is a relatively new condition which has emerged due to changes in lifestyle and eating habits. Recent dental improvements have resulted in the life span of our natural teeth being extended. As teeth are now lasting longer, they gain more exposure to wear over a period of time. As we are also living longer, we must be mindful of the importance of preservation.

Acid wear however is by no means an older persons' problem. Changes to our modern diet have led to an increase in the consumption of acidic food and drinks. As a result, acid wear can be found in children just as commonly as it is in adults.

In many cases acid wear can be even more detrimental to children. Please note, however, that PRONAMEL is not recommended for children under 12.

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