Many people choose sugar-free beverages and gum because they believe they are safer for their teeth.

The sugar alcohol xylitol, which is popular in sugar-free foods, has even been found to help fight tooth decay, and the European Union has approved a related health claim that it is a 'tooth friendly' ingredient in chewing gum.

However, a label of "sugar-free" should not automatically be taken to mean "safe for your teeth." As a new study revealed, even foods that contain "tooth friendly" xylitol have the potential to cause other dental problems …

-- Sugar-free food that contain acidic flavorings and preservatives may contribute to dental erosion

-- A sugar-free label on a food should not be automatically interpreted as “safe for your teeth”

-- Avoiding sugars and processed foods (including sugar-free processed foods) is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your oral health

The fact that sugar-free foods do not contain sugar may mean they're less likely to contribute to the formation of cavities in your teeth, however this says nothing about their ability to cause other tooth problems, like dental erosion.

A new review revealed that sugar-free products that contain acidic flavourings and preservatives may in fact lead to dental erosion, even if they contain cavity-fighting xylitol.

The researchers stated:

"Although the presence of acidic flavourings and preservatives in sugar-free products has received less attention, these additives may have adverse dental health effects, such as dental erosion. Furthermore, the term sugar-free may generate false security because people may automatically believe that sugar-free products are safe on teeth."

Unlike cavities, dental erosion is a process of incremental decalcification, which, over time, literally dissolves your teeth. Virtually any food or beverage that is acidic can contribute to tooth erosion, including carbonated beverages like soda, sports drinks, fruit juice, lemon juice and vinegar.

Reducing or eliminating as many erosive beverages as possible from your diet is important if you want to protect your teeth from unnecessary damage, and this has nothing to do with their sugar content, or lack thereof.

So if you're eating sugar-free foods to protect your teeth you are being misled because if the food is acidic or contains acidic flavourings or preservatives, it will still have the potential to damage your teeth. In fact, if you believe there is any benefit to eating foods that contain artificial sweeteners, you are probably in for a surprise

Internet site reference: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/29/sugar-free-food-linked-tooth-damage.aspx?e_cid=20111029_DNL_art_2