Blog

Why Apple Cider Vinegar is Bad For Your Teeth

Apple cider vinegar: we’ve read some articles that believe that directly applying apple cider vinegar to teeth is a good way to clean or whiten them. We at Whitehorse Dental in Blackburn do not recommend this practice and are eager to explain why.

apple cider vinegar teeth whitening

Apple Cider Vinegar = Acid = Enamel Erosion

Regular intake of apple cider vinegar can seriously speed up enamel erosion.

To put it into context, water, with a pH level of 7 has a neutral level of acidity, while stomach acid being extremely acidic, has a pH level of 1. Apple cider vinegar has a pH level of around 3, making it highly acidic.

The environment within the mouth only needs to be at pH 5.5 for enamel to begin dissolving. Therefore exposing teeth to an acidic pH level of 3 daily is detrimental to your tooth enamel.

Within weeks, the enamel can become significantly eroded.

It is important to remember that enamel does not recover or regenerate. This can lead to a lifetime of extremely sensitive teeth because once the enamel is gone, your teeth are now exposed to all sorts of damaging agents.

 

Clean teeth better, without apple cider vinegar

 

We’ve previously written a short guide on how to clean your teeth more effectively.

To give your teeth a thorough clean and keep them in a healthy state, here are 3 quick tips:

  1. Use a soft brush with fluoride toothpaste
  2. Drink water between meals and wait 30 minutes after meals before brushing
  3. Clean in between teeth with floss or interdental brushes

 

Whiten teeth safely

If you’re wanting to give your teeth a nice white glow, the safest way to do so is to have them professionally whitened by your dentist.

At our dental clinic in Blackburn, we offer two options for safe and effective teeth whitening.

To find out more about enamel care or teeth whitening, speak to one of our friendly dentists at Whitehorse Dental.

Image credit: “Apple man” by Andrea Schaffer is licensed under CC BY 2.0.