Custom «Acidic and Non-Acidic Beverages» Essay Paper Sample

The human tooth is one of the major and delicate parts of the human body and plays a pivotal function in the healthy growth and development of a person. It is therefore painful and expensive to treat and dental related problems that could have been caused as a result of poor nutrition or hygiene.

The Paper Outline

The purpose of this report is to answer the following questions that will be part of my science project, what liquid is more detrimental to tooth enamel soda, lemon juice, orange juice, water, or tea? The paper will briefly analyze the effects of the stated liquids thereafter give a conclusion on which of the stated liquids is more harmful to the tooth enamel and the one that does not have any effect in the tooth enamel. According to WebMD, the main function of the tooth enamel is to protect the teeth from the daily chewing, biting, grinding and crunching (WebMD, 2010a). It is important to note that these functions do not apply to human beings alone but to all animals that have dental formula. In addition to that, WebMD has stated since the tooth enamel (which is the outer cover of the tooth) has no living cells, any damage on it is permanent and cannot be repaired (WebMD, 2010b).

a) Effects of Soda on the Tooth Enamel: Admin has observed despite being a soft drink, soda is acidic and as a result if taken excessively it can damage the tooth enamel by causing erosion of the teeth (Admin, 2009). Another highly acidic liquid that has serious effects on the tooth enamel is the lemon juice.

b) Effect of Lemon Juice on the Tooth Enamel: According to WTW most people believe that using lemon juice on a regular basis makes the teeth whiter, this is true; however what most people don't know is that due to the acidic nature of the juice with time the acid erode the tooth enamel and eventually it destroys the tooth calcium leading to a serious dental problem (WTW, 2009).The positive effects of fresh orange juice to the human body cannot be ignored; it has been proven that orange juice is full minerals and vitamins all of which are important in keeping the body strong; however according to Carla these same minerals found in orange juice can decrease the hardness of the tooth enamel by up to 84% (Carla, 2009). This means that with time the tooth enamel is completely eroded and eventually destroyed.

c) Effects of Water on the Tooth Enamel: The different reactions that water has on the tooth enamel, according to Kidshealth is that water contains fluoride which is a natural mineral from the soil and therefore when water is ingested the fluoride in is absorbed by the teeth and helps in making them stronger (Kidshealth, 2010). In addition to that the fluoride prevents the tooth enamel from being destroyed by harmful bacteria released from other acidic liquids. On a negative note thou too much ingestion of water that has fluoride leads to dental fluorosis (Content, 2009). This is the condition whereby the teeth become discolored from white to brownish.

d) Effects of Tea on the Tooth Enamel: It has been observed that that tea contains fluoride just as water as therefore it greatly helps in fighting tooth decay (TEA, 2008). In addition to that, it has been proven that green tea is not only good for your health but also it helps in ensuring that the teeth are strong and healthy (ScienceDaily, 2009). It has however been observed that black tea contains a high number of fluoride and as a result excessive consumption of black tea by children can lead to teeth loss (DHD, 2010).

Summation of the Paper

Having looked at all the liquids and the effects that they have on the tooth enamel, it is safe to conclude that as per the research it is the liquids that contain acid that have serious effects on the tooth enamel as compared to those that are non acid. It is however important to note that the level of acidity in each liquid varies depending on the PH levels on acid in the liquid; therefore soda, lemon juice and orange juice have serious effects on the tooth enamel than water and tea.