What can I do to prevent dental erosion?

There are a number of things you can do:

• Have acidic food and drinks, and fizzy drinks, sodas and pops, just at mealtimes. This will reduce the number of acid attacks on your teeth.
• Drink quickly, without holding the drink in your mouth or ‘swishing’ it around your mouth. Or use a straw to help drinks go to the back of your mouth and avoid long contact with your teeth.
• Finish a meal with cheese or milk as this will help cancel out the acid.
• Chew sugar-free gum after eating. This will help produce more saliva to help cancel out the acids which form in your mouth after eating.
• Wait for at least one hour after eating or drinking anything acidic before brushing your teeth. This gives your teeth time to build up their mineral content again.
• Brush your teeth last thing at night and at least one other time during the day, with fluoride toothpaste. Use a small-headed brush with medium to soft bristles.
• Children up to three years old should use a toothpaste with a fluoride level of at least 1000ppm (parts per million). Three-year-olds to adults should use a toothpaste that contains 1350ppm to 1500ppm.
• Spit out after brushing and do not rinse, so that the fluoride stays on your teeth longer.