Wellness websites and institutions have, in recent years, seen an upswing in requests for help and more information regarding the perks and pitfalls of fruit juice detoxes. Popularised in the 1990's, these detoxes or 'juice-fasts' as they're often called, are offered world wide and a plethora of health farms and spas.

The thought behind the juice fast is simple: help to clear the body of unnecessary waste produce by giving it only easily absorbable and efficiently usable nutrients for a week. Sometimes detox programmes extend beyond this timeframe, however, most agree that seven days without solid food is sufficient for the purposes of cleansing.

Interestingly enough, many of the worries attached to the juice fast are not to do with issues of hunger, but are dental in nature. Blended vegetables and particularly fruits can be high in calories and so malnutrition is not a problem for detoxers. However, these juices are very high in natural sugars which are quite as harmful to the teeth and gums as those which are artificial.

Sugars create an acidic environment in which the bacteria which cause all sorts of gum diseases flourish. Drinking only fruit juice for seven days is, in some sense, simply asking for periodontal trouble.

However, dentists also say that the high content of Vitamin C found in the juice of many fruits is profoundly beneficial to the mouth's soft tissue. Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system, promote healthy skin, and, significantly, to ward off the spectre of gingivitis. Thus, if they are sure regularly to clean their teeth with a good toothpaste, juice fasters are actually helping and not hindering their gums.