Hi,
I exercise several days per week, and after my workouts I drink some
type of fruit juice made from frozen concentrate. Or at least, that's
what I did until a couple days ago, when I started reading about acidic
foods and enamel erosion.
The problem is, according to my (limited) knowledge of physiology, my
body needs some type of simple sugar fairly soon after a workout to
recover the glucose that was lost during exercise, so I would like to
figure out what I can drink after a workout that won't destroy my tooth
enamel. Does low-acid orange juice have a pH higher than 5.5? What if
I added some milk to the juice before I drank it? Or should I just
drink water and get sugars some other way?
I'm booking an appointment with the dentist and I'm going to buy some
pH paper to perform my own tests; I'm just hoping for some advice I can
apply in the meantime.
Thank you very much for your time.
Dr Steve - 15 Aug 2005 13:28 GMT
Just drink it down, don't sip it or hold the liquid in your mouth before
swallowing. Acidic drinks are a problem when the person drinking it holds
it in the mouth for a few seconds.

Signature
~+--~+--~+--~+--~+--
Stephen [What's a Temporary?], D.D.S.
Michigan, USA
....................................................
This posting is intended for informational or conversational purposes only.
Always seek the opinion of a licensed dental professional before acting on
the advice or opinion expressed here. Only a dentist who has examined you
in person can diagnose your problems and make decisions which will affect
your health.
......................
> Hi,
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Thank you very much for your time.
Ricthy - 15 Aug 2005 21:09 GMT
> I exercise several days per week, and after my workouts I drink some
> type of fruit juice made from frozen concentrate. Or at least, that's
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> figure out what I can drink after a workout that won't destroy my tooth
> enamel.
Don't eat refined carbs so your blood sugar is flying up and down.
Then you won't need the fix of a sugar drink after a workout. I never
eat sweet things after a workout. Workout = heartbeat 180 bpm for
15 minutes.
> Does low-acid orange juice have a pH higher than 5.5? What if
> I added some milk to the juice before I drank it? Or should I just
> drink water and get sugars some other way?
Dump milk if you want to have good workouts.
shad j lewis - 15 Aug 2005 22:08 GMT
I'm sorry if I sound like a jerk, but you have too much time on your
hands.
Absolutely no need for this. Your saliva has lots of buffering
capacity.
Life's too short - enjoy the sugary drinks! I promise you your teeth
won't wear away from this.
As long as you brush twice daily, and floss once daily and see your
dentist regularly.
Ricthy - 16 Aug 2005 15:43 GMT
> I'm sorry if I sound like a jerk, but you have too much time on your
> hands.
Just your opinion. Not very jerkish at all!
> Life's too short - enjoy the sugary drinks! I promise you your teeth
> won't wear away from this.
Sugar / sweets are relative. Since being utterly sugar free (no sweeteners of any kind including
honey/maple syrup/dried fruits) I've realized that what used to be sweet (cookies and the like) are
replaced with ripe fruit like grapes, mangos, pineapple, strawberries. It gives the same sweet
satisfaction that the cookies used to. Plus you look and feel a whole lot better afterwards.
> As long as you brush twice daily, and floss once daily and see your
> dentist regularly.
You will pad his/her wallet with the fillings needed. Up to you.
Its not about "giving up" something. Its about upgrading.