How quickly do the effects of acid wear occur?

There are many factors which contribute to acid wear - most notably, the:

• Frequency of consumption of acidic foods.
• Acidity of foods or drinks.
• Length of contact with teeth.
• Volume of saliva produced by an individual.

People's lifestyles, consumption habits and teeth are different, and each of these can influence the effects of acid wear on the health of our teeth. For this reason it hard to place a universal timeframe on the effects of the condition.

However, according to the 2009 PRONAMEL® National Oral Health Survey, dentists surveyed have highlighted acid wear as a major growing concern for the Australian public - with over 60% believing the condition will become a lot more severe if it’s not addressed.

Permalink:What is acid wear?:  

Adult Oral health

The PRONAMEL® National Oral Health Survey also revealed some interesting facts about adult oral health in Australia:

41% of people surveyed said their oral health is not as good as they would like it to be. 76% of people said they regard it as ‘really important’ to look after their oral health, but only 44% say they look after their oral health well.

So what are we doing about it?

Interestingly, Australians visit the dentist, on average, 1.4 times per year. We also brush our teeth, on average, 650 times a year (or 1.8 times a day) and 49% of people brush 2-3 times a day or more.

According to the survey, Australians floss their teeth, on average, 171 times a year (or 0.5 times a day) and 26% floss daily or more.

Australians also use mouthwash/rinse on average 159 times a year (or 0.4 times a day) and 25% using mouthwash daily or more.

Permalink:The National Oral Health Research Study:  

Are people worried about acid wear?

22% see it as a big risk, 53% not too concerned and 25% are not concerned at all.

Only 18% are extremely likely to change their diet to prevent acid wear and 33% believe the benefits of eating healthy food offset acid wear risk (only 10% disagree).

60% said they would consider brushing with a specialist toothpaste to protect from acid wear, and 23% say that acid wear is a serious threat to oral health. 33% believe the benefits of eating healthy food outweigh the risk of acid wear and 23% strongly believe they cannot afford to spend more on oral care to prevent risk of acid wear.

Those who exercise daily think they are less at risk than the total sample. Those who consume sports drinks on a regular basis also deem themselves less at risk than those who never drink sports drinks, and those who brush, floss, rinse say they have higher awareness of acid wear and are more involved in oral care.

Permalink:The National Oral Health Research Study: