“Is lemon bad for your teeth?”
I am a 33 year old female. I want to know if lemon is bad for your teeth?
6 Answers
Pure lemon juice is damaging to the teeth due to having a very acidic ph. Diluted with water or in foods is fine
A little bit of lemon juice can be fine. Leaving a wedge of lemon inside your cheek can be extremely damaging. The "dose" and "duration" of lemon exposure determine whether or not it is harmful.
YES! The cause of enamel loss, other than injury, is acid attack. That acid either comes from the bacteria in dental plaque digesting carbohydrates in your mouth or from acid that you put in your mouth. The pH scale measures the levels of acids and bases on a scale of 0 to 14. Acids start at the lowest value and bases are the highest. Neutral pH is 7, like pure water. Acids dissolve things, and enamel is particularly susceptible. Hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid have pH values of 0 and 1.0 respectively. Stomach acid comes in at 1.2, and lemon juice is quite low at 2.0. Repeated exposure to lemon juice will erode your enamel, not to mention contribute to acid reflux, which is a major cause of enamel and tooth loss. Sucking on lemons is a certain tooth destroyer, and drinking lemon-flavored water, though weaker because of dilution, is also enamel destroying. It just takes longer than the pure lemon.
Lemons are acidic and so weaken tooth enamel or the outer layer of teeth. It is best to rinse with water if suck on a lemon or drink lemon water.