Acid erosion on teeth is the quiet cousin of tooth decay, and considerably more common than most people realise. Where decay is caused by bacteria producing acid in one spot, erosion is acid washing across the whole tooth surface, dissolving enamel evenly and invisibly until one day the teeth look different and nobody can say quite when it happened.
On this page
- What erosion actually is
- The signs to look for
- Dietary causes
- Stomach acid, the hidden cause
- How to protect your teeth
- The brushing mistake
- What can be done about existing damage
- In summary
What erosion actually is
Enamel is largely mineral, and mineral dissolves in acid. When the pH in your mouth drops below about 5.5, enamel begins to soften and lose minerals.
Saliva reverses this. It neutralises acid and redeposits minerals back into the enamel, given time. The problem arises when acid arrives so frequently that saliva never gets the chance to catch up, and the losses gradually outrun the repairs.
Crucially, this is why frequency matters far more than quantity. A glass of orange juice with breakfast is one acid attack. The same glass sipped across two hours at a desk is a sustained assault.
The signs to look for
- Teeth looking more yellow, as thinning enamel lets the darker dentine beneath show through
- Thin, translucent edges on the front teeth, sometimes with a slightly jagged look
- Rounded, smooth surfaces where the normal ridges and grooves have been lost
- Small dips or cupping on the biting surfaces of back teeth
- Fillings that seem to stand proud of the tooth, because the enamel around them has worn away while the filling has not
- Increasing sensitivity to hot, cold and sweet
- Teeth chipping more easily than they used to
That fifth sign is one of the most reliable and the easiest to spot yourself. Fillings do not grow; the tooth around them shrinks.
Dietary causes
The usual sources, roughly in order of how much trouble they cause:
- Fizzy drinks, including sugar-free ones. The acid is the problem, not just the sugar, so diet versions erode enamel too.
- Fruit juice and smoothies, which are considerably more acidic than their healthy reputation suggests.
- Squash and cordials, particularly when sipped through the day.
- Citrus fruits, especially eaten frequently or sucked.
- Wine, both white and red.
- Vinegar-based foods, including pickles and dressings, in quantity.
- Sports and energy drinks, which are often surprisingly acidic and frequently sipped over long periods, which is the worst possible pattern.
Stomach acid, the hidden cause
Stomach acid is far stronger than anything in your diet, and it is the cause people least expect.
Regular heartburn or acid reflux, particularly at night when you are lying flat and saliva flow is reduced, brings that acid into contact with your teeth. The pattern of erosion is often distinctive: it affects the inner surfaces of the upper teeth first, where a patient cannot see it and only a dentist notices.
If you have frequent heartburn, mention it to both your dentist and your GP. Treating the reflux protects your teeth as well as your oesophagus.
Other causes of repeated acid exposure exist too, and any of them is worth a confidential conversation with your GP, since the dental damage is a symptom rather than the problem.
How to protect your teeth
- Keep acidic drinks to mealtimes. This single change does more than anything else, because it reduces the number of separate acid attacks.
- Use a straw so the drink bypasses your front teeth.
- Do not swill or hold acidic drinks in your mouth.
- Rinse with plain water afterwards to help neutralise things.
- Finish a meal with cheese or milk, which helps raise the pH back up.
- Chew sugar-free gum after eating, which stimulates saliva, your mouth’s own repair system.
- Use a fluoride toothpaste, which helps enamel remineralise.
The brushing mistake
This one is counter-intuitive and worth knowing: do not brush immediately after acidic food or drink.
Enamel is temporarily softened for a period after acid exposure. Brushing at that moment scrubs away the softened surface layer, doing considerably more damage than brushing at any other time.
Wait around half an hour, by which time saliva has begun to reharden the surface. If you want to do something immediately, rinse with water. Our post on how to brush your teeth properly covers technique more broadly.
What can be done about existing damage
Lost enamel does not grow back, so the first priority is always stopping the cause. There is no sense rebuilding teeth that are still being dissolved.
Once the cause is controlled, worn teeth can be rebuilt. Bonded composite restores length and shape to worn front edges, often in a single visit. Larger damage may need fillings, onlays or crowns, and our page on tooth restoration explains the options. Our post on whether worn teeth can be rebuilt covers what is achievable.
Where erosion and grinding are both present, and they frequently travel together, a night guard protects against one while the dietary changes address the other. Softened enamel wears far faster under grinding, so the combination does disproportionate damage.
The Oral Health Foundation has further general guidance on erosion.
In summary
Acid erosion dissolves enamel across the whole tooth surface, driven by frequent acidic drinks or by stomach acid. The signs are subtle: yellowing, thinning edges, cupped biting surfaces and fillings that appear to stand proud. Frequency matters more than quantity, and you should never brush straight after acid exposure.
If your teeth are looking thinner or more sensitive than they used to, ring us on 01255 422506. Our posts on replacing metal fillings and shop-bought mouthguards cover related ground.
This article is general information rather than personal dental advice. Every mouth is different, so please speak to your dentist about your own teeth.