Fruit smoothie craze could lead to tooth decay epidemic

Smoothies. Nobody really cared a few years ago, did they?

People were happy to eat actual pieces of fruit, and not whizz them up in a lazy way, or part with an extortionate amount of cash for an exotically-named blend from one of these new juice bars.

Anyway, it seems that the only people who aren’t jumping on the smoothie bandwagon are dentists. Which is surprising, as it could lead many lucrative fillings for them in the future.

It may come as a surprise to find out that fruit juices and smoothies can be just as acidic as those evil fizzy drinks.

Yup, you might think you’re being really healthy by necking 2 of your 5 a day portions in one fell swoop, but the dental professionals would beg to differ.

The best way to protect your white and pearlies is to brush them before you drink a smoothie, which strengthens the enamel and readies it for the fruity, acidic onslaught.

However, common practice is to brush teeth after meals, and post-breakfast brushing could be the most lethal - many of us like a glass of fruit juice with our toast.

Dr. Nigel Carter, of the British Health Foundation, said: “Dental health is often considered to be of secondary importance to other health issues, but the latest scientific research has found strong links between oral health and a range of serious health conditions including heart disease, heart attacks, respiratory disease, strokes, diabetes and low birth weight babies.”

A survey recently found that only two thirds of people realise that smoothies can be bad for their teeth.

Source: The Telegraph