Is lemon whitening a bad idea?
Depending on the way of use, whitening teeth with lemon can contribute to the wear of tooth enamel.
Whitening your teeth with lemon can be a bad idea. That's because a research published in British Dental Journal showed that any acidic beverage, such as sugary soda, coffee, alcohol, some types of teas, citrus fruit juices, soft drinks diet, among others, it can damage tooth enamel, but this also depends on the form of consumption.
Whitening teeth can corrode them
According to research done by King's College, a university in London, taking these acidic drinks - like those that contain lemon - and savoring them for a long time increases the risk of erosion of teeth due to acidity. To reach that conclusion, the research analyzed the diet of 300 people with severe tooth erosion.
In addition, research has concluded that vinegar and pickled foods can also contribute to tooth erosion. According to the researchers, "if you drink the drinks for long periods of time, for more than five minutes, for example, or if you play with the fruit on your teeth before eating it, you can really spoil them."
Corrosion also depends on the meal as a whole.
According to experts, tooth corrosion also depends on the diet as a whole. Drinking water with a lemon wedge between meals, for example, can damage your teeth, but it depends on the meal. "After eating an apple, try not to eat anything too acidic later in the day," recommends Saoirse O'Toole of King's College Dental Institute, one of the study's authors. "If you're going to drink wine at night, don't drink fruit tea in the morning. Just balance your diet," he says.
The researchers found that people who drink acidic beverages such as lemon water are 11 times more likely to suffer tooth erosion. However, this number is halved when beverages are consumed with meals. This is because the ingestion of other foods minimizes the damage of lemons or other acidic drinks, since it stimulates the production of saliva and this, in turn, is alkaline, reducing acidity.
According to the researchers, the use of straws contributes to lessening damage to teeth. However, conventional plastic straws are not environmentally friendly at all, so look for biodegradable or durable straws. You can better understand this topic by taking a look at the articles: "Plastic straw: impacts and alternatives to consumption" and "Disposable straws and possible solutions".
What to do?
Citrus fruits and other acidic foods are essential for a proper diet. The important thing is to consume them in a balanced way, interspersing meals.
Water with lemon can even bring health benefits, which you can see in the article "Water with lemon: uses and benefits".
Another tip is to brush your teeth at least half an hour after consuming acidic foods or drinks, this way you avoid the friction of acid with your teeth and allow the saliva to do the natural work of neutralizing the pH of the teeth.
There are other tips on how to whiten your teeth with lemon, but remember that there is this burden of corroding tooth enamel, so be mindful when it comes to taking care of your oral health.
