Q: Wait a minute, I thought sugar is bad for my teeth? Why did you talk about pH and acidity?
A: Sugar is still bad for your teeth, but not just because it is sugar. Sugar is bad for your teeth because you are feeding the harmful bacteria (Streptococcus mutans or S. mutans for short) that live in all those little grooves and fissures on your teeth. To show how thankful they are, the harmful bacteria use the sugar to make … acid!
Lesson: So it’s much simpler to get to the root of the problem and just recommend eating less sugar.

Q: What other foods make my mouth more acidic?
A: Carbonated drinks (soda, diet soda); energy drinks; fruits and fruit juices (lemons have pH of 2!); coffee (careful how much sugar you add to these!); alcoholic drinks; starches (potato chips).
Don’t panic! I am human too and enjoy my share of these foods, but the lesson is this: indulge less often.