Which is better for your teeth -- orange juice or caffeine-free tea? Turns out that OJ ranks right up there with soda in terms of its enamel-damaging potential. But tea’s effect on teeth is like water’s: It leaves enamel unscathed.
Think of enamel as armor for your teeth. Once that armor gets worn down or damaged, it can’t repair itself. That’s why acidic beverages - soda, citrus juice, sports drinks - are so bad for your pearly whites: They contain enamel-stripping acids (
phosphoric,
citric,
malic, and
tartaric acids, to name a few). But green and black teas don’t attack enamel, and they even have a bit of tooth-friendly fluoride to boot.
Save wear and tear on your teeth with these other smart sipping strategies:
Use a straw with acidic beverages. This minimizes contact with your teeth. Or swish your mouth with water afterward.
For the “go green” folks out there, we’ve found a new product, the stainless steel
Endurance Straw. A set of 4 is $10.95 from A & L International. We found them on Amazon.com. Just type in stainless steel drink straws — you may even find them for less as you scout around.
Drink brewed caffeine-free tea - and drink it straight up. If you load it up with sugar and lemon, your teeth will feel it.
Snack on natural stain removers, like apples, celery, and carrots. Also, dates, raisins, yogurt and gum with xylitol are good for your teeth as they contain the compound, fluorine.
To top it off, YOU Docs, Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen say that flossing and brushing your teeth daily can make your RealAge as much as 6.4 years younger!
Information Courtesy of RealAge
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