Soft Drinks Harm Your Teeth

Before you pop the top on another can of your favorite soft drink, you might want to stop and think about the harm you’re doing to your teeth.

The sugars in soft drinks interact with bacteria in your mouth to form acid that attacks your teeth. Add that to other acids in both regular and sugar-free sodas and you’re starting a damaging reaction that lasts for about 20 minutes. If you sip all day, your teeth are under constant attack.

To give you an idea of how much acid and sugar are in some popular drinks, consider these numbers.

Effects of soft drinks on teeth

Drinking soft drinks leads to two major dental health issues:

• Erosion: The acids in sodas weaken tooth enamel. This thin, outer layer of teeth protects them from daily use such as chewing, biting, and grinding. When enamel erodes, the sensitive dentin layer underneath is exposed, making the tooth more susceptible to damage and decay. Enamel erosion can also lead to tooth pain and sensitivity. Erosion is a serious issue because once tooth enamel is gone, you can’t get it back.
• Cavities: Drinking soda is one of the leading causes of tooth decay and a triple threat for your teeth. Besides weakening tooth enamel, the carbonation, sugar, and acids helps the bacteria in your mouth and on your teeth to grow, which causes cavities.

Reduce damage to your teeth from soft drinks

Even if you don’t have the willpower to give up soft drinks forever, there are steps you can take to reduce the damage to your teeth.

• Don’t sip all day: Constant exposure to the sugars and acids in soft drinks means your mouth can’t restore its natural pH balance.
• Lessen direct exposure: The faster you drink, the less time the sugars and acids have to damage your teeth. You can also drink using a straw, which delivers the soda to the back of your mouth.
• Rinse your mouth with water: Rinsing your mouth with water after drinking soda will help wash away sugars and acids, stopping them from attacking your teeth.
• Wait before you brush: Despite what you may think, brushing your teeth immediately after you have a soda isn’t a good idea. Brushing teeth that were recently covered in acid can do more harm than good. Wait about 15 to 20 minutes before brushing.
• Avoid soft drinks before bedtime: Not only will the sugar likely keep you up, but the sugar and acid will have all night to attack your teeth.
• Drink soda with food: Drink a soft drink with a meal, when there’s a lot of saliva present to break down the acid.
• Get regular dental checkups and cleanings: Your dentist can spot any problems before they worsen. A professional teeth cleaning will remove the buildup of plaque and bacteria that promote decay.