Studies have shown that American’s #1 New Year’s resolution is weight loss. There are several types of products being promoted to help achieve weight loss including juice cleanses, diet drinks, energy bars, sports drinks, and meal replacement shakes. Many people are unaware of the effects these have on your overall health as well as your oral health. As a health care provider, your dentist should be able to recognize and treat problems caused by these products.
What we are seeing is patients are beginning to experience tooth hypersensitivity that can be painful to even chewing. Some notice their teeth look shorter or may have increased decayed areas. Your dentist may ask about your dietary habits. Research has been done on the products patients are taking to help with weight loss and have determined there is a very high acid content in them. Patients may think that avoiding sugar products will help with decay, but may need to be educated about the acidity levels of foods and drinks.
Water is one of the most beneficial drinks for overall health. Drinking more water is great but people need to be aware of flavor additives for water as it also has acid. Your dentist may question your eating habits to correctly diagnose the areas of concern. There are numerous factors that cause tooth damage, your dentist will be aware of the effects of acidic and sugar “diet drinks” on your teeth.
Dr. Julie Pruneski is the owner of Whispering Pines Dental in the Lorain/Amherst area, to reserve an appointment call 440-282-2023.