Chewing vegetables can damage your teeth, say researchers
The cause are microscopic, silica particles that form within the tissues of many plants.
While plant-based foods are an essential part of a healthy diet, an international team of researchers has found that microscopic plant stones, known as phytoliths, could contribute to dental wear.
There have been many studies of how human tooth enamel wears down or breaks. However, an area that is still not fully understood is the effect that tiny particles from outside sources like dust or from the food we eat can have on the enamel.
Phytoliths are microscopic, silica particles that form within the tissues of many plants when the roots take up soluble silica from the soil.
Previous studies have looked into enamel wear caused by plant phytoliths but the results were often conflicting. Furthermore, these studies failed to realistically simulate how multiple phytoliths, embedded within soft plant matter, interact with tooth enamel during chewing.
For this study, the scientists designed artificial leaves made from a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based matrix with embedded opaline phytoliths obtained from wheat stems and leaves.
The resulting leaf, with a thickness and stiffness similar to that of a real leaf, was then fixed to a holder and brought into controlled, repeated contact with healthy human wisdom teeth samples, to simulate the sliding and pressure of chewing.
The physical and chemical changes in the leaf and the dental enamel were analysed using high-resolution microscopy and spectroscopic techniques.
According to the results published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, soft plant tissues can cause permanent damage and mineral loss upon interaction with enamel.
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