Should I Be Worried About My Teeth Because Of The Acid In Oranges?

by Krista
(California, USA)

Krista's Question:

Hi Andrew,

I absolutely love oranges and pineapple, tomatoes, etc... all the acid fruits. I was just reading your article on dental health. You had mentioned that you likely shouldn't eat very many of these acid ones as it will strip your tooth enamel, yikes.

Anyways, to get to my question, I'm wondering, other than doing a water swish after I eat all my acid fruits, is there any other way to help assist in getting the acid to neutralize in my mouth. I don't want to chew on a Tums or anything non-organic or chemical based.

Are there any raw organic foods that I could use to neutralize my mouth safely? I just really like oranges, usually eat mono-meals of them at least once a day, sometimes twice.

I don't want to strip my enamel, but am also in my happy place when I eat my favorite fruit ever, at least so far:) How do I do the least damage without taking away my happy fruit?

With enthusiasm,

Krista

Andrew's Answer:

Hi Krista. Thanks for your question.

I updated the wording on my article on caring for your teeth on a raw diet to clarify a bit.

First, I've only ever seen tooth decay from acid fruits among those who are eating nothing but acid fruits for long periods of time. So my big caution is to suggest that you don't do that.

Of all the problems that I talk about in the article, that's the one I'm least concerned with.

It's also possible that part of the problem for those who are following these diets is that they're eating no greens, which are required for health.

I've certainly had periods when I eat more citrus. A few big meals a day for part of the year shouldn't be an issue.

There really isn't much you can do to neutralize acids in your mouth. The best you can do is to swish with water to remove the acid from your teeth quickly after they are deposited.

Don't let this worry get in the way of enjoying some great oranges this winter. It certainly won't stop me. :)

Enjoy your meals!

Learn about a healthy raw food diet here.