We
are only given a single set of natural teeth in life, so it is critical that we
care for them properly by practicing excellent home-care and maintaining good oral
health. One of the most common consequences of soda drinking is dental caries,
or tooth decay. A less obvious
repercussion of soda drinking, even diet soda, is its extremely acidic and
corrosive effects on teeth. Some studies
have gone so far to have made similar comparisons between drinking soda and drinking
battery acid fluid! The pH of the mouth
is typically approximately 6.8, and anything below 5.5 is acidic enough to
start dissolving tooth enamel. It’s
astounding the pH levels of drinks that otherwise seem pretty innocuous.
Even within
just 3 minutes of drinking soda, it starts eroding layers of tooth structure,
putting them at further risk particularly when combined with other damaging
risk factors such as a sugary diet, heavy brushing, ice-chewing, or grinding.
The resulting damage can be considerable!
Compounding the erosive effects of soda alone, regular sodas also contain
considerable amounts of refined sugar, which bathing your teeth in, creates
plaque and provides a food source for the colonies of bacteria inhabiting your
mouth. The bacteria metabolizing this
food source releases toxins as a by-product, leading to demineralization of
your teeth and producing an unsightly yellowish mottled chalky appearance. Eventually this leads to bad breath and
cavities that need to be treated by a dentist.
So
the next question we hope you’re asking is, “how can I prevent this? The most obvious, but probably less than
desirable, is to cut soda completely out your diet --substituting with fresh fruit
juices, milk, or water are better alternatives.
Keep in mind, however, citrus juice should be consumed in moderation due
to its highly acidic nature. However,
it’s best to drink such acidic juices in a single sitting as quickly as
possible, rather than sipping on it all day.
The concern is more frequency than quantity—so have your drink and be
done with it. Energy drinks and power
drinks should be minimized as well, as they also contain a large unexpected amount
of sugar. The use of straws has also been
recommended, with that idea that the straw reduces the contact of the soda with
your teeth. Efforts should also be made
to avoid sipping on your acidic and/or sugary drinks for an extended period of
time, as this puts your teeth at more risk with this repeated bathing. It’s always best to rinse your teeth with
water afterwards to hopefully wash out or at least dilute the sugar and
acidity, in efforts to preserve the enamel on your teeth. Fluoride (in most tap-water, toothpaste, some
mouth rinses), and of course regular visits to your dentist, all help reduce your
cavity count and strengthen your enamel.
Often times, when necessary, prescription strength fluoride toothpastes
or rinses may be recommended for patients who display a moderate to high-caries
risk. Managing your oral health is
important. Teeth are unfortunately not something that the body can regenerate,
and the intent of course is to have them throughout your lifetime. By taking care of your teeth today, you are
less likely to need more extensive (and often more expensive) dentistry
tomorrow!
