Do you love sipping tea? Beware of the fruity flavors, because they could be bad for your teeth, according to a new report.
Researchers from King's College London Dental Institute recently conducted a study, published in British Dental Journal, to determine how certain foods and drinks can affect tooth wear.
To do so, researchers examined a previous study that compared the diet of 300 people with severe erosive tooth wear with the diet of 300 people with healthy teeth.
After analyzing the results, they found that eating and drinking acidic foods and drinks, especially between meals, increased teeth erosion risk.
In fact, those who consumed acidic drinks, such as sodas, lemon water and hot flavored teas, twice a day were more than 11 times more likely to develop moderate or severe tooth erosion.
Furthermore, scientists discovered that drinking hot beverages and sipping or holding acidic liquids in your mouth before swallowing can increase your chances, too.
While they noted some groups of people, such as wine tasters, are accustomed to swishing liquor around, the habit can still be dangerous.
"It is well known that an acidic diet is associated with erosive tooth wear, however our study has shown the impact of the way in which acidic food and drinks are consumed," coauthor Saoirse O'Toole said in a statement.
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Now analysts hope to continue their investigations to create preventative measures to combat the issue. In the meantime, they recommend a change in diet to delay teeth damage.
"With the prevalence of erosive tooth wear increasing, it is vitally important that we address this preventable aspect of erosive tooth wear," O'Toole said. "While behaviour change can be difficult to achieve, specific, targeted behavioural interventions may prove successful."
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