Tooth erosion

What causes dental erosion?

Dental erosion happens in 2 steps.

Contact with acid starts to weaken and soften the enamel on the outside of your teeth.The softened tooth surfaces are worn away during eating and chewing.

There are both external and internal sources of acid that can cause dental erosion.

External sources

These include diet, medicines and other acids in your environment.

Acidic food and drinks that can cause dental erosion include:

fruit juices 

soft drinks (including sugar-free)

sports and energy drinks

citrus fruits (lemon, orange, grape fruit) vinegar foods with additives such as citric acid, sodium citrate or phosphoric acid alcohol

Taking frequent sips of acidic drinks can increase the time that acid is in contact with your teeth.

Some medicines and health products, such as chewable vitamin C tablets, can cause dental erosion.

Internal sources

Tooth erosion may occur as a result of:

excessive vomiting, which can be from conditions such as bulimia nervosagastric reflux from gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD)reduced saliva production.