If you’re like about one half of the American population, you drink a minimum of one sugary drink daily– and there’s a great chance it’s soda.
Consuming high-sugar soft drinks is most frequently associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and weight gain. But sodas can also have ill impacts on your smile, possibly causing cavities as well as noticeable tooth decay.
How Soft Drinks Hurt Your Teeth
When you drink soda, the sugars within connect with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. This acid attacks your teeth. Both regular and sugar-free sodas likewise contain their own acids, and these attack the teeth too. With each swig of soda, you’re beginning a harmful response that lasts for about 20 minutes. If you sip all the time, your teeth are under consistent attack.
Erosion and Cavities
There are two main dental results of drinking soda: erosion and cavities.
Disintegration begins when the acids in sodas experience the tooth enamel, which is the outer protective layer on your teeth. Their effect is to minimize the surface area firmness of the enamel.
While sports beverages and fruit juices can also damage enamel, they stop there.
Sodas, on the other hand, can likewise impact the next layer, dentin, and even composite fillings. This damage to your tooth enamel can invite cavities. Cavities, or caries, establish gradually in individuals who drink sodas routinely. When combined with poor oral hygiene, the results can be disastrous.
Mountain Dew Mouth
Possibly one of the most extreme examples of the dental results of soda consumption is called “Mountain Dew Mouth,” a phenomena most common in Central Appalachia. This condition is brought on by really high intake of sodas, including its namesake, Mountain Dew.
Those who struggle with it experience visible dental caries, as acids from the soda essentially gnaw the enamel to leave behind disturbing results.
Unfortunately, children are most at risk for suffering the teeth-damaging results of soft drinks, as their vulnerable enamel is not totally developed.
How to Avoid Teeth Damage Caused by Soft Drinks
The obvious option? Stop drinking soda. Regrettably, a number of us just cannot appear to kick the habit. Thankfully, there are things you can do to decrease the risk of harming your teeth.
Drink in moderation. Do not have more than one soda every day. Simply one will do damage enough.
Drink often. The longer it requires to drink a soda, the more time it needs to damage your dental health. The faster you drink, the less time the sugars and acids have to damage your teeth. (Simply don’t use this as an excuse to drink twice as many sodas!)
Use a straw. Utilizing a straw to drink soda will help keep the harmful acids and sugars away from your teeth.
Wash your mouth with water after consuming a soda. Flushing your mouth with some water will help remove any remaining sugars and acids, and stop them from assaulting your teeth.
Wait before you brush. Regardless of what you might think, brushing right away after you have a soda is not a great idea. That’s due to the fact that the friction against the vulnerable and just recently acid-attacked teeth can do more harm than good. Instead, wait 30 to 60 minutes.
Prevent soft drinks before bedtime. Not just will the sugar most likely keep you up, but the sugar and acid will have all night to attack your teeth.
Get routine dental cleanings. Regular checkups and tests will determine issues prior to they get worse.
There Are Alternatives to Soda
Finally, you can do less damage to your teeth by picking sodas that have a lower acid material. Inning accordance with the Mississippi Department of Health, Pepsi and Coca-Cola are two of the most acidic sodas on the market, with Dr. Pepper and Gatorade not far behind.
Sprite, Diet Coke, and Diet Dr. Pepper are a few of the least acidic popular soft drinks (but they are still rather acidic).
Sodas are not a healthy option, but they are a popular one. If you have to drink soda, do it in moderation and secure your dental health at the same time.
