# Red onion and barley acidic or bad for the teeth?



## discusscookingnewbie (Mar 13, 2020)

Hi, I recently switched to a Mediterranean food regimen and have been eating the same thing for about a month now or over a month, specifically the red bean and barley bowl recipe(no red meat, not even chicken or fish) as the version my doc recommended as the best one for my brain, heart and overall quality body health as well as extremely cheap so that's why I decided to stick with that one. last week or the beginning of this week I started to have teeth pain problems, felt some tooth pain in one of my tooth's however i think that might have resulted from me not brushing and not flossing my teeth after dinner for just one day. I usually brush my teeth twice a day, once right after eating breakfast and once right after eating dinner as well as flossing after dinner. I added red onion to the recipe witch originally is not in it but i was told red onion is great for blood pressure so i added that in. Also the red onion i have found makes the food taste better as well. I also added garlic powder with it to improve the taste to as well some kosher salt i shake onto each of my 3 daily meals. for dinner i add 2 bananas with it for my teeth or mouth health(ripe bananas when i can find them, but not always ripe bananas) I really don't know what is causing this. If the red onion and barley is bad for teeth or acidic, i would like to know so I can choose a different Mediterranean food regimen to stick with OR modify the red bean barley reipee.


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## larry_stewart (Mar 13, 2020)

Acid has a tendency to wear away enamel ( the protective surface layer of the teeth)
The higher the acidity of the food, and the longer it is in contact with the teeth ( length of time/ frequency), the more damage it will potentially do to the teeth.

Although red onions are slightly acidic, they are not as acidic as most fruits ( especially Citrus , Lemons).

It takes time for it to get to the point when it will cause tooth pain ( when it reaches the second layer of the tooth ( Dentin) , which is much more sensitive).  If you have a fractured tooth, a worn tooth from grinding or a cavity which has exposed the dentin layer, then any acid ( or sweetness) could affect the tooth immediately.

Barley is not acidic but is starchy/ carbs which break down to sugars. Sugar feeds the bacteria that create acids which cause cavities.  

As long as you rinse, brush and floss after eating acidic/ starchy foods, the damage will be minimal and slow.

Tooth sensitivity will likely be sharp if the tooth is vital.
A dull or throbbing pain is more likely from a tooth that is infected, abscess, nerve involved
Gums more likely to give an achy pain, adjacent teeth of gum issues could feel throb by

So in a nut shell, I doubt the red onions or barley had any immediate affect on your teeth unless you had some preexisting conditions ( cavities, wear, chips, fractures...).  It would take a long time for them to create permanent damage.  Not brushing for a week , or getting food impaction of the gums could cause a throbbing feeling and would be reversed by brushing, flossing and eliminating the negative stimuli ( food debris, bacteria..)

Acidic foods like Citrus ( esp lemons), vinegar ,  reflux ( acid from stomach). tend to do the most damage from what I see .


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## Kayelle (Mar 13, 2020)

That's all very interesting information Larry. It's nice to have a real dentist as a valued member of Discuss Cooking here.


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## larry_stewart (Mar 15, 2020)

Kayelle said:


> That's all very interesting information Larry. It's nice to have a real dentist as a valued member of Discuss Cooking here.



Anything I can do to help.
I could go into a lot more detail, but didn't want bore everyone 
And I think I gave enough info to answer the question without getting technical.


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