Posted: 2/17/2010 3:04:43 PM EDT
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Is mixing lemon juice with diet cola more damaging to teeth than either alone?
Odd and perhaps silly question, but I used to play with aqua regia (mix of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid) a lot when cleaning lab glassware, because that stuff would devour ANYTHING, where normal cleaning solutions wouldn't. |
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A dentist uses a strong acid to etch your teeth when doing the tooth colored composite resin fillings. The idea for opening the enamel matrix came from dentist observing people who regularly sucked on lemons, and how it degraded their enamel. So lemon juice will certainly eat your teeth. My concern with mixing lemon juice and soda, is that you will get a much longer acid exposure than if you were just having lemon juice. I assume you would not just swig straight lemon juice, but you will get the same effect by mixing it with soda and it will sit on your teeth much longer.
A chemist would be able to address your question about mixing acids, but as a dentist I would expect to see more damage from mixing lemon juice with your soda, versus someone who drinks the same amount of plain soda. Either way, lots of soda will tear up your teeth, and make you look like you have "meth mouth". |