Do you ever worry about wine's effects on your teeth?

I just got back from a rather unpleasant trip to the dentist. It turns out that the acidity in wine doesn’t play very well with my tooth enamel. Anyone else getting lectured by their dentist over their wine consumption?

Stop drinking all those acidic AFWE wines…

When doing an extended day/evening of tastings I regularly rinse my mouth with water over the course of the tastings. I also make sure to rinse/brush at the end of the night. Haven’t had an issue raised at the dentist (yet).

yes,

After wine or coffee I always use a soft bristled toothbrush before bed. I normally like more firm bristles.

Who needs teeth to chew their wine anyway?

What TEETH ??

Your dentist probably already told you this…but it’s not just wine. Soft drinks and other high acid and/or sugary foods/drinks are a problem as well, so cut back on those. Also, brush with a soft (not medium or hard) bristle toothbrush…but don’t brush after having wine or other acidic drinks (your teeth are softer then)…instead rinse your mouth with water, or better yet something like Biotene

I’m with you on preferring firm bristle brushes…but it’s better to use soft bristle all the time (for this issue anyway). And you’re better off not brushing at all after an acidic drink like wine/coffee cuz it makes your teeth softer and brushing at that time can damage them.

did you get the “Wine vs Enamel” lecture before or after you lied about flossing regularly?

The sad thing is, I still got the flossing lecture even though I do it on a daily basis. I guess I just suck at it.

Dump the hygienist. There are too many who get off on lecturing their clients. Sounds like you got one of those rather that suck at flossing.

hmm, thanks

I get lectured every six months about wine, coffee, and flossing. Twenty years of this harassment and both teeth are still doing fine.

I found a dentist who drinks and collects wine.

This is why Robert Parker always praises wines by calling them “low acid.”

You know the toothbrush was invented in my home state of Kentucky, right? Anywhere else and they would have named it the teethbrush…

Lmao

Switch your toothpaste to Sensodyne Pronamel. I was told the same thing a few years ago and, according to my dentist who recommended it, it has helped immensely. I do trust them as igave had the same dentist for over 20 years.

You got handed a mouthful of…

Wine averages pH of about 2.9 - 3.9. fair?

Tomato sauce, 3.4.

Blueberry, 3.3.

Cranberry juice, 2.3.

Apples, about 3.5.

Cucumbers, about 3.5.

Cherries, about 3.5.

Citrus, 2.5-3.5 ish.

Olive oil, around 4-4.2. (Ballpark, they vary a great deal.)

Peaches, pears, plums, most berries - 3.5 range.

If you are having wine with food, even less an “acidity” problem.

Go buy those 1944 DRC’s and mock your hygienist!

But apples are also crisp and help clean a little. And the others are generally eaten and done. You may have a glass of OJ, and with some food, but not a whole bottle. You don’t drink olive oil - it’s usually in some food that may not be all that acidic. And many people (like me) drink coffee with milk, so the acidity level is not so great.

OTOH, with wine, you tend to sit and sip for a while, constantly flushing your teeth with a little more acid. I think that’s why wine is considered more of a problem than other things. Of course, if you sat around sucking on lemons or even eating pineapple and grapefruit all evening, that would probably be worse.

But there’s an antidote!

Cheese! That’s why as I sit here drinking this OK but not particularly brilliant CA Grenache, I’m having a nice pizza with lots of cheese on it.

And that brings up another issue, i.e. why is it that CA can do competent, but so far as I’ve tasted, not brilliant Grenache? I know it’s not a high-acid wine and it’s a bit of thread drift, but Spain, France, and Australia seem to get it.