Fruit juices come in all colours and flavours under the sun! Some contain actual fruit while others are made with a mixture of chemicals and sugars to mimic the natural taste. Either way, fruit juice contents may be harmful to the dental health of clients from London and the rest of the UK.
What fruit juices contain
Fruit juices have high concentrations of sugar, some natural and some not, like Aspartame. Acid levels in fruit juices are also high, particularly in citric-type juices like orange, lemonade and grape juice. For example, each 250ml Ribena contains 26.3g or 29 percent sugars. Robertson’s Fruit and Barley label promotes no added sugar, but ingredients reveal sweeteners, Aspartame and Saccharin, with acids – both Citric and Malic, which reveals how difficult it is to keep damaging ingredients out of our diets.
Consuming fruit juices in regular quantities, combined with other acid and sugar-containing products like chocolate, cakes and other kinds of yummy things, can push levels way over the healthy mark and be particularly damaging to teeth and overall health.
Tooth decay, tooth erosion and discolouration
Research shows that fruit juices high in sugars and acids can be more damage than other erosive chemicals. Children suffering tooth decay and erosion are on the rise due to unhealthy fruit juice consumption. The acid wears away the enamel of the teeth, causing decay and erosion that can lead to broken and infected teeth. Another knock-on effect includes tooth discolouration. People with poor dental health often have associated health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Managing fruit juice consumption and dental health
Ways to manage the damaging effects of dental health are to:
- Get advice from a dietician or dentist.
- Monitor the consumption of fruit juice.
- Moderate the intake of acid and sugar high foods and drinks.
- Adhere to dental and medical advice.
- Have regular dental check-ups and teeth cleaning.
- Follow-through on your dental care plan.
- Practise proper dental hygiene at home.
