THE ONE BAD THING ABOUT LEMON WATER (AND HOW YOU’RE MAKING IT EVEN WORSE)

 Most people are now aware of the amazing health benefits of drinking lemon water, especially early in the morning.

Full of essential nutrients and vitamins, lemon water helps your body do just about everything better, from boosting your metabolism to improving your immune system.

But there is one thing about lemon water you almost never hear about.

The One Bad Thing About Lemon Water

It’s terrible for your teeth! Lemon water is highly acidic and can quickly erode your enamel. Over time this can cause your teeth to become hollowed and yellow, as the underlying dentin becomes exposed.

Even worse than the appearance, this can make your teeth extremely sensitive to hot and cold sensations. Ice cream quickly becomes a lot less enjoyable.

The First Way You’re Making It Worse

If you’re drinking your lemon water warm, the erosion will be even worse.

A higher temperature increases the number of chemical reactions that take place, in effect making the water even more acidic. Sugar is particularly bad for your teeth when you drink it in warm tea for the same reason.

You may think the health benefits make it worth it, but as far as your teeth are concerned, cold lemon water is definitely better than warm.

The Second Way

The other thing you’re probably doing is brushing your teeth immediately after.

For most people brushing their teeth is part of their morning routine. But if you wake up and drink lemon water, and then brush your teeth after, you’re making the problem so much worse.

Because the acid in the lemon water softens your enamel, brushing your teeth immediately after speeds up the erosion, especially if you brush vigorously or with a hard-bristled brush. This is one instance where brushing your teeth is actually not good.

All the Ways You Can Make It Better

With that in mind, you shouldn’t brush your teeth for at least an hour after drinking lemon water, and even then only softly with a soft-bristled brush. What that means for your morning routine is that you should brush your teeth first, and drink the lemon water second.

To help your teeth out even more, you can drink the lemon water through a straw (to bypass your teeth), and dilute it a little more than usual. Again, drinking it cold is also better for your teeth than warm.

If you’re worried about how to get the acid off without brushing, you should simply rinse your mouth out thoroughly with water.

A final suggestion would be to mix up the kind of water you’re drinking. Cucumber water, for instance, has a variety of benefits without all the acid, as does mint.

So go enjoy your lemon water, just remember to not forget about your teeth.

Source:

http://www.drsarasolomon.com/hot-lemon-water-and-enamel-erosion/