OJ's Low PH Can Be Dangerous To Teeth

[Queequeg]

Just came across this article about some precautions we should all be taking when drinking OJ. I think many people have noticed problems with their teeth when peating so hopefully some will find this helpful.

some edited helpful solutions
2: drink orange juice always with a drinking straw to avoid contact with your teeth
4: change the pH of your orange juice drink by including more alkaline foods or drinks
5 : limit the damage done to the enamel of your teeth by just and only rinsing your mouth with water after a meal. Straight after a meal strictly no teeth brushing, brushing a softened enamel layer will make things even worse!

Can drinking too much oj be bad for you? - Ray Peat Q&A

 

[dfspcc20]

I agree. Same could be said for most other juices, as well as soda.

 

[Braveheart]

rinse your mouth with milk

 

[marcar72]

I always stir in a pinch of baking soda to my OJ. Sometimes I'll use Natural Calm Magnesium powder since it's got some carbonate in it.

This will neutralize the acid in the OJ.

 

[grenade]

Also worth noting that ripe, sweet oranges make for fresh squeezed juice that doesn't seem overly acidic. Store bought OJ, however, is like battery acid in my opinion.

 

[DaveFoster]

You can also rinse your mouth with baking soda and water. Just have a spit cup.

 

[miki14]

Ray said that citric acid increases the excretion of calcium. Drinking with straw won't protect your teeth. Increasing calcium intake, vitamin k2 and baking soda might. Last winter I ate 3-4kg of oranges a day and at the end of winter I noticed a cavity at a wisdom tooth. Reducing my orange consumption plus the above mentioned things reversed the cavity.

 

[Queequeg]

Ray said that citric acid increases the excretion of calcium. Drinking with straw won't protect your teeth. Increasing calcium intake, vitamin k2 and baking soda might. Last winter I eat 3-4kg of oranges a day and at the end of winter I noticed a cavity at a wisdom tooth. Reducing my orange consumption plus the above mentioned things reversed the cavity.

In addition to the issue with citric acid , the low pH of OJ harms the teeth by physically dissolving the enamel. That's why you want to limit any contact of the tooth with the OJ by using a straw.
I'm glad your were able to reverse the cavity.

 

[Queequeg]

If anyone has some pH strips lying around I would be curious to know how much magnesium carbonate or baking soda is needed to bring the pH of OJ up to at least 6.

 

[Mossy]

Maybe swishing/pulling with some coconut oil after would help.

 

[tara]

In addition to the issue with citric acid , the low pH of OJ harms the teeth by physically dissolving the enamel. That's why you want to limit any contact of the tooth with the OJ by using a straw.

The explanation I've heard promoting fluoride for teeth is that it lowers the pH threshold at which the acidity dissolves the enamel - ie it takes a stronger acid to cause the damage. I can see why this would be an attractive feature - if it weren't for the antimetabolic effects of fluoride in the system.

 

[Queequeg]

The explanation I've heard promoting fluoride for teeth is that it lowers the pH threshold at which the acidity dissolves the enamel - ie it takes a stronger acid to cause the damage. I can see why this would be an attractive feature - if it weren't for the antimetabolic effects of fluoride in the system.

Interesting. I imagine it is just some clever excuse to justify the poisoning of our drinking water and probably isn't even true. Since fluoride isn't a natural part of the tooth makeup I cant see how it can do any good. How many times have we tried to improve upon nature and failed.?

I just googled around and it seems that the reliable studies do not show any benefit to fluoride and it may actually increase cavities. The one's that show its benefits have some major scientific flaws.
Fluoridation May Not Prevent Cavities, Scientific Review Shows

 

[Dave Clark]

Actually, you would have to watch for other things as well if you were concerned about acidity. Vinegar in salad dressings, lemon juice in recipes, wine with a meal, or wine sans a meal. Probably best to just be conscience of the acidity of what you are eating and drinking, and then maybe drink some water (swish around your mouth), or rinse your mouth with water when finished. I always rinse my mouth with water when I finish my OJ, and the other things I mentioned. If you can't do that, then put something in your mouth that is alkaline to neutralize the acidity like a pinch of baking soda.

 

[schultz]

Drinking with straw won't protect your teeth.

A narrow straw positioned near the back of the mouth will prevent liquid from contacting the teeth.

A videofluoroscopic comparison of straw and cup drinking: the potential influence on dental erosion. - PubMed - NCBI
"Fourteen patients avoided fluid contact with both incisors and molars when using a straw. Compared with the cup, significant differences were found with the narrow straw..."

I always rinse my mouth with water when I finish my OJ

Milk or cheese would probably be better. Cheese has been shown to have the ability to re-harden the enamel after challenge with a soft drink.

Tooth enamel softening with a cola type drink and rehardening with hard cheese or stimulated saliva in situ. - PubMed - NCBI
"Cheese consumption significantly increased the enamel hardness, whereas stimulated saliva did not have this effect."

Milk may be even better considering it has been shown that there are many tooth protective components in milk.

Coffee, cocoa and honey (yes it's true!) have also shown to be protective. A latte sweetened with honey is looking pretty good right now. The phytic acid in cocoa is a consideration though.

EDIT: There was another post in a different thread where the person said adding 1/2tsp of baking soda to 12oz (I think) of OJ brought the pH to 6.0, which is high enough not to cause demineralization. A pH of 5.5 or below is the often cited number for demineralization.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Just came across this article about some precautions we should all be taking when drinking OJ. I think many people have noticed problems with their teeth when peating so hopefully some will find this helpful.

some edited helpful solutions
2: drink orange juice always with a drinking straw to avoid contact with your teeth
4: change the pH of your orange juice drink by including more alkaline foods or drinks
5 : limit the damage done to the enamel of your teeth by just and only rinsing your mouth with water after a meal. Straight after a meal strictly no teeth brushing, brushing a softened enamel layer will make things even worse!

Can drinking too much oj be bad for you? - Ray Peat Q&A

Also adding a little baking soda to orange juice reduces the acidity. The straw idea is good one!

 

[BodhiBlues]

Also adding a little baking soda to orange juice reduces the acidity. The straw idea is good one!

I buy orange and mango juice (OJ with some mango puree in it) then mix it into full fat milk, roughly 2/3rds milk and 1/3rd juice, it greatly reduces the acidity and tastes amazing!

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I buy orange and mango juice (OJ with some mango puree in it) then mix it into full fat milk, roughly 2/3rds milk and 1/3rd juice, it greatly reduces the acidity and tastes amazing!

Oh that's a great idea too! So an "Orange Julius" is perfect for yet another reason!