Many wine makers and tasters know first-hand that enjoying a glass of white wine on a frequent basis can damage the teeth, experts say. Nutrition Research reports that a pale plonk packs an acidic punch that erodes enamel far more than red wine. It is not the wine’s vintage, origin or alcohol that are key but its pH and duration of contact with the teeth.
But study shows that eating cheese at the same time could counter the effects because it is rich in calcium. It is the calcium in teeth that the wine attacks. In the lab, adult teeth soaked in white wine for a day had a loss of both calcium and another mineral called phosphorus to depths of up to 60 micrometers in the enamel surface, which the researchers say is significant.
Even if people brush their teeth after a night of drinking, over the years repeated exposure could take its toll. Indeed, excessive brushing might make matters worse and lead to further loss of enamel. But they said: The tradition of enjoying different cheeses for dessert, or in combination with drinking wine, might have a beneficial effect on preventing dental erosion since cheeses contain calcium in a high concentration. This helps neutralise and boost the remineralising power of saliva to halt the acid attack.
But eating strawberries while supping on your vino or mixing sparkling whites with acid fruit juice to make a bucks fizz may spell trouble because this only adds to the acid attack. But it’s the way you consume it that’s all important. If you’re going to have a glass of wine do so with your meal and leave a break of at least 30 minutes afterwards before you brush your teeth and go to bed. Leaving time before brushing teeth gives the enamel a chance to recover from the acid attack and makes it less susceptible to being brushed away.
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Do you have any idea of the exact PH level? It must be significant it it erodes teeth like that.