Back in the 1980s, vitamin C was touted as a wonder drug and everybody was loading up as much as they could. Then studies revealed chewable vitamin C tablets were about as tooth-damaging as crystal meth, and they disappeared from drugstore shelves. Fast-forward a couple decades. Sensodyneand other toothpastes for sensitive teeth are starting to dominate thetoothpaste aisles. Why do people’s teeth hurt? And what does this have to do with bartending?

Lemons. Yes, all those lemons and limes in cocktails are nearly as hard on our teeth as chewable C. Here’s what happens: the outer surface of your teeth is made up of hard calcium salts. It doesn’t replenish itself during your life, but it is very solid. That is, unless you regularly bathe your teeth in acids. These erode the enamel, leaving nerves exposed and the underlying dentin unprotected from decay.

And citrus juices aren’t the only culprit. You have probably heard that cola rots your teeth, but did you know it’s not just the fizzy sugar that does the damage? Carbonated water contains carbonic acid, another destructive substance. So, is it time for the world to switch to white wine? Not in this case, as white wine (even more than red wine) contains a load of tooth-rotting acids as well.

There is a solution. Frequent brushing will ensure that you maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth and stay above the average (by age 50 the average Brit has lost 12 out of 32 adult teeth). Also, cheese really is the perfect pairing for cocktails as well as wine at least as far as preserving your smile goes. Cheese neutralizes the acids from your drinks. 

Another solution? More vermouth-based or balanced drinks. Yeah! Margaritas and Sidecars are great, but you are better off making martinis and manhattans your long-term drink of choice (at least that’s one utterly biased opinion).