By Dr. Presley-Nelson
Vinegar in a “gummy” form has been implicated in serious and rapid tooth decay. Beware of the existence of several brands of apple cider vinegar, and perhaps other vinegars, in this “candy like” form on the market today.
Vinegar, like lemon juice and other acids, literally dissolves tooth enamel. A small amount of these acids, mixed with a salad or diluted in a drink, are relatively safe. However, in this sticky, “gummy” form, it can cling to teeth after chewing, or be held against teeth to dissolve slowly, and this kind of concentrated contact with enamel and dentin can be very destructive, very rapidly. These vinegar gummies appear to have sugar combined with them, which feeds bacterial plaque, causing more acid production. That is a double acid “whammy”, in the vernacular, and we have seen the evidence of aggressive tooth decay in a short period of time. Even if vinegar gummies have artificial sweeteners, instead of sugars, the acid from the vinegar alone, would be a terrible thing to apply to your teeth.
One of our dear, long-time patients, is currently losing a tooth and being prepared for an implant, due to aggressive decay, literally hollowing out one of his teeth. He thought the apple cider vinegar gummy was good for his health. It certainly was not good for his dental health. So beware of any gummy, which may cling to your teeth, and especially beware of acidic and/or sugar laden ones. Call for your routine check up and cleaning today. Problems are easier to correct if discovered while small.