Having a glass of lemon water daily can be healthy for the body but not for the teeth because there are adverse dental effects. Yes, it can be harmful oral health wise if this habit is not practiced in moderation and may result in costly dentist visits.
Dental side effects of drinking lemon water daily:
Drinking lemon water causes enamel erosion
Excessive consumption of lemon water can lead to tooth enamel erosion due to the high acidity of lemons.
Acidity of lemons: Lemon juice has a pH of 2.0 which is even more acidic than a can of coca cola or pepsi which average around a 2.5 pH. We all know that soda is potent enough to erode your enamel and since lemon juice is even more acidic, it can certainly do the same.
How acids erode enamel: Frequent consumption of acidic foods and beverages means that the acids will be sitting on the surfaces of your teeth. Over time this will slowly erode the enamel layer. Yes, lemons are acidic enough to cause erosion because enamel will start dissolving once the pH drops from neutral (7 pH) to below 5.5 pH.
Your teeth can either be remineralizing (repairing itself) or demineralizing (eroding) depending on the pH of your mouth at any point in time. The most important deciding factor is the "critical pH" which is 5.5
pH lower than the critical pH means that the enamel is demineralizing.
pH higher than the critical pH means that the enamel is remineralizing.
As you guessed, the acidity of lemon juice is well below the critical pH which means it possesses the capability of causing enamel dissolution.
What eroded enamel looks like
Teeth will start looking more yellow when the enamel layer has eroded away. The reason is because the dentin layer which is directly below the enamel becomes revealed and its color is naturally yellow.
The photo above shows teeth with enamel erosion. You can see some sploty yellow patches on the otherwise pearly white surface of the teeth.
Here's another photo where you can see yellow circles on the teeth which are areas with erosion.
Potential treatment for erosion:
Dental bonding - cover up the areas with bonded composite to restore lost tooth structure. This works for more mild cases.
Porcelain veneers - Severe erosion will require veneers which can cover up much larger surfaces than dental bonding could.
Drinking lemon water increases teeth sensitivity
Too much lemon water can lead to increased teeth sensitivity either due to its high acidity or as a side effect of enamel erosion.
High acidity causes tooth sensitivity: Consuming highly acidic foods will make your teeth feel sensitive and this includes lemon water. The reason is because having acids come into contact with your teeth will cause pain signals to fire from your tooth nerve. Imagine putting something acidic on your arm, it will hurt and may even burn the skin!
Eroded enamel leads to increased sensitivity: The enamel is a protective layer that prevents the sensitive nerves in the dentin from coming into contact with the elements, including acids. With the enamel eroded, the dentin is completely exposed to acids which will irritate the sensitive nerves embedded within this layer.
The diagram above shows the different layers of a human tooth. The nerves are housed within and the outermost protective layer is the enamel.
Drinking lemon water accelerates cavity progression
Yes, excessive consumption of lemon water daily can make cavities grow faster due to the sugar content and acid levels of lemon juice.
Sugar in lemons: While most people associate lemons with being sour there is about 1.5g of sugar in it. Any amount of sugar whether it be 1g or 25g, can be used as fuel by bacteria to cause cavities.
Acids in lemons: Tooth decay only progresses during times of demineralization, which is when the pH falls below the critical level. Lemon juice is acidic enough to create a conducive environment for cavities to form.
Verdict: Is drinking lemon water bad for your teeth?
Despite all of the potential adverse effects from drinking lemon water daily, it isn't necessarily bad for you as long as you do it in moderation.
Not harmful in moderation:
A glass every now and then is safe. Just like how a can of soda every once in awhile won't destroy your dentition, the same can be said of this drink.
Be mindful of the amount of lemons you put in the water. The more lemons you put in it, the more acidic it will be. Therefore it would be prudent to be mindful of the amount of wedges you throw in there.
At the end of the day, the healthiest hydration option would be to drink plain water. However, if you've been partaking in this habit for a long time now... perhaps you should schedule an appointment with one of our dentists for a dental check up in long island city!
