pH, or the power of hydrogen, is fancy scientific jargon for measuring acidity. Essentially, pH tells us how acidic or basic a solution is. Lower pH means the environment is acidic. On the other hand, a basic solution yields a higher pH, and the pH of seven is neutral. Our body thrives on a neutral pH, and the same goes for our mouth. However, the majority of the foods we consume can increase the acidity of our mouth, which turns out to be detrimental. Hence, we should look for ways to rebalance our mouth’s pH and maintain a neutral oral pH.
Why Acidic Oral pH Is Bad News?
What’s the deal about low pH? Why is it so harmful? Low pH promotes the growth of harmful bacteria and weakens the tooth because an acidic oral environment demineralizes the tooth’s enamel. With a flimsier tooth enamel, your tooth is more vulnerable to decay. However, that’s not all; your saliva needs a neutral or alkaline pH to work properly. Acidic pH can denature the enzyme found in saliva. Thus, making the saliva’s digestion of food less effective.
How Can Mouth Become Acidic?
Two major causes of increasing acidity are the following:
Eating and drinking acidic foods and beverages, such as soda, red wine, and coffee.
High carb intake. Diet rich in carbs and sugars is a feast for mouth bacteria. Harmful plaque-causing bacteria dig in on the sugar and metabolize it to create lactic acid as a byproduct. The lactic acid, in turn, lowers the pH of your mouth.
How To Rebalance Your Mouth’s pH?
You have eaten or drank something acidic, and now you don’t want your mouth acidity to linger on and cause harm to your pearly whites, so what can you do about it? You can neutralize the pH by immediately drinking water or swishing some mouthwash afterward. This act can flush down the food debris and balance your mouth’s pH. Moreover, it’s excellent if you brush your teeth after such a meal to stave off any plaque formation. However, it’s better to wait for your mouth’s pH to balance before brushing your teeth.
How To Avoid Acidic Mouth?
- The first step to a more balanced mouth is a balanced diet. Try cutting down a diet high in carbs and calories and avoiding unnecessary intake of acidic foods and beverages. Moreover, keep a heavy hand on vegetable intake as it can help fight oral acidity.
- Chewing gum can also help maintain a balanced pH because chewing can stimulate your salivary glands. Research has shown that gums containing Xylitol are exceptionally beneficial in maintaining your saliva’s pH.
- Maintain good oral hygiene by using mouthwash, floss, and brushing after every meal.
- Last but not least, chew food thoroughly to activate salivary glands.
Are you feeling troubled by an acidic mouth? You are not alone, but the above remedies can help you out. For professional dental care in this matter, you can always rely on Brenham Family Dental. You can call us at 979-421-9685 to learn more about how we can help.