Are apples good or bad for teeth?

Scientists of the Dental Institute of the Royal College of London published the results of the study of the effects of eating various foods on the health of teeth. It turned out that the damage caused to the teeth by the most common apples is about four times higher than the harm caused by sweet fizzy drinks.

Eating sour food, for example, apples, can be four times more dangerous for teeth than carbonated drinks. To this conclusion came a group of scientists led by Professor David Barlett of the Royal Dental Institute.

Specialists have checked whether there is a connection between nutrition and tooth wear. They involved more than a thousand women and men aged 18 to 30 years. in the experiment. Attention was drawn to the damage of the 2-mm surface of the enamel and dentin, the main supporting structure of the tooth under the enamel; the results obtained were compared with the diet of participants.

It turned out that apple lovers were 3.7 times more likely than others to damage dentin, while fans of soda had no additional risk. Fruit juices four times increased the likelihood of tooth enamel damage near the gums, and lager (sour light beer) - three times.

According to Professor Barlett, the teeth are hampered by the slow chewing of apples, as the level of acidity in the mouth increases strongly and for a long time. On the contrary, drinks that everyone curses, on the rate of tooth decay, seem to have no effect. The scientist underscores that the results of the research should not prevent people from using fruits and fruit juices, since they are important for health in general.

According to dentists, to reduce the negative effect of acid on the health of teeth, apples are better eaten together with products containing calcium - for example, milk or cheese. Calcium well neutralizes the acid harmful to the enamel. A glass of water after eating also reduces the negative effect of acid. But the most reliable, according to the doctors, is still to clean the teeth after eating.