Pop quiz from clinic today: what’s the hardest tissue in the human body? It’s enamel, but it starts demineralizing around pH 5.5 — how do you coach patients who sip acidic drinks all afternoon to protect it?
I coach them to use a “drink window” — finish the soda in 10–15 minutes instead of nursing it — and then rinse with water or chew xylitol gum to get above the “pH 5.5” danger zone; brushing waits 30 minutes. Straws help a bit, but timing beats tools in my experience — do your patients stick better with gum or just a quick water rinse?
@OP I have them keep a small bottle of water with a pinch of baking soda (about 1/2 tsp in 8 oz) to swish after acidic sips, then “spit, don’t rinse,” and wait 30–60 minutes before brushing — enamel’s like glass right after an acid splash. Do you also pair that with a bedtime 5,000‑ppm fluoride smear or CPP‑ACP for the all‑day sippers?