Did you know that about a half of all Americans – including people in Hendricks County – drink at least one carbonated soft drink a day? That’s a lot of soda – or pop – or whatever you like to call soft drinks. Why is the staff at Danville Family Dentistry, concerned about how much soda you’re drinking? Because soft drinks contain acids and sugars that can cause acid erosion.
What Is Acid Erosion?
Your teeth are covered with enamel, a semi-translucent, hard outer layer made up of minerals. Tooth enamel protects your teeth from daily wear and tear, guards your teeth from decay, and shields your teeth from damaging acids.
However, tooth enamel is not impenetrable. Over time, acids in foods and acids produced when bacteria interact with sugars can leach calcium from your tooth enamel. This causes it to wear down, exposing the dentine beneath. Once this occurs, your tooth is vulnerable to cavities and decay as well as tooth sensitivity and pain.
Why Soft Drinks Are Bad for Your Teeth
First, regular soft drinks contain a high amount of sugar that can cause tooth decay. Second, regular and diet soft drinks contain acidic ingredients, such as citric acid, phosphoric acid and tartaric acid. With every sip, these acids attack your enamel, dissolving it away.
In fact, regular and diet sodas are almost as corrosive to tooth enamel as battery acid. According to studies, RC Cola, Cherry co*ke and co*ke are the most acidic soft drinks. But other sodas, like Pepsi, Squirt, Surge, 7 Up and Diet 7 Up, are also damaging to tooth enamel as well.
How to Prevent Acid Erosion
Here are some ways our Hendricks County patients can protect their teeth and stop acid erosion:
- Stop drinking soda. Drink water, milk or tea instead.
- Drink sugar free soft drinks only with meals.
- Use a straw to sip soda. It’ll reduce the amount of soda that comes in contact with your teeth.
- Wait 30 to 60 minutes after drinking soda before you brush your acid-exposed teeth.
- Avoid soft drinks before bedtime. Sugars and acids from soda won’t be able to attack your teeth all night.
- Have your teeth cleaned regularly at Danville Family Dentistry, located in Hendricks County. Regular exams with Dr. Jon Erickson can help uncover any dental problems before they get worse. Contact us today to schedule an appointment
FAQs
Second, regular and diet soft drinks contain acidic ingredients, such as citric acid, phosphoric acid and tartaric acid. With every sip, these acids attack your enamel, dissolving it away. In fact, regular and diet sodas are almost as corrosive to tooth enamel as battery acid.
Can soft drinks cause dental erosion? ›
Soft drinks contain carbonic, phosphoric, and citric acids; prolonged exposure to these acids in individuals who consume substantial amounts of carbonated soft drinks increases tooth sensitivity and eventual enamel erosion.
What is the effect of volume and pH of carbonated drinks on dental erosion or tooth decay? ›
This pH is usually lower than the pH of the tooth enamel. The higher acidic content in the drinks tends to dissolve the outer surface of enamel causing tooth erosion. This can lead to sensitivity or pain in the tooth.
How do acidic drinks affect your teeth? ›
Foods and beverages that are high in acids wear away the enamel that protects your teeth, a process known as tooth erosion. This changes the appearance of your teeth and opens the door for bacteria that can cause cavities or infection. What Does Tooth Erosion Do to My Teeth? Tooth erosion is permanent.
Does soda erode gums? ›
Another danger of drinking soda is that it can cause gum disease. The sugar and acid in soda can irritate your gums, leading to inflammation and eventually gum disease. Gum disease is a serious condition that can lead to tooth loss and even heart disease.
How quickly does soda erode teeth? ›
Sugar in soda combines with bacteria in your mouth to form acid. This acid, plus the extra acid from soft drinks, attacks the teeth. Each acid attack lasts about 20 minutes, and acid attacks start over again with every sip. Ongoing acid attacks weaken tooth enamel.
What is the most common cause of dental erosion? ›
Dental erosion occurs when acid starts to dissolve and soften the enamel surface of your teeth. It is most often caused by acid from food or drinks. Excessive vomiting can lead to tooth erosion because stomach acid is in contact with your teeth.
How long does it take for acid to erode teeth? ›
Whenever you consume something acidic, you expose your teeth to what's commonly known as an “acid attack”. Lasting about 20 minutes with each exposure, acid attacks work to slowly demineralize your enamel.
How to stop acid erosion on teeth? ›
Preventing dental erosion
- Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
- Drink fluoridated tap water rather than soft drink or juice.
- Eat fruit rather than drinking fruit juice.
- Eat fruit at meal times rather than between meals.
- Avoid adding lemon, lime or citrus to water.
Carbonated drinks also have various acids in them. The acids in these carbonated drinks can and will erode your tooth enamel over time. That process is sped up if you ingest carbonated drinks often, especially if it's on a daily basis. Some studies have found that teenagers drink as much as up to 12 soft drinks a day.
Erosion usually shows up as hollows in the teeth and a general wearing away of the tooth surface and biting edges. This can expose the dentine underneath, which is a darker, yellower colour than the enamel.
Which is worse for teeth, sugar or acid? ›
Harmful Acidic Foods and Beverages
Foods and drinks with high acidic levels are actually worse for your teeth than sugar. This is why diet sodas can actually be worse for your teeth than the regular versions. The most common acids in the average diet are carbonic, citric, and phosphoric.
How do acids corrode the teeth? ›
Your enamel is mostly made of crystals of a mineral called hydroxyapatite. These crystals can dissolve if surrounded by acid of a pH lower than 5.5, meaning that if your teeth are in contact with acid for too long, the top layer could disappear, like salt crystals in water; this is known as 'demineralisation'.
What is the best fizzy drink for your teeth? ›
Carbonated waters—club soda, seltzers, and tonic water—are better choices than sodas, but still contain CO2 that becomes carbonic acid. Sparkling water is carbonated, but naturally. When drunk without added sugars, it is “generally fine” for teeth, according to research.
How bad is drinking soda every day? ›
Drinking soda every day can cause a lot of damage to your health because it contains so much sugar. Excessive intake can cause chronic health issues, from obesity to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart diseases. Even drinking diet soda or other sugary juices every day has negative side effects.
Why does co*ke erode teeth? ›
When you drink soda the sugars in the soda mix with the bacteria in your mouth to form acid. This acid attacks your teeth and can wear down the tooth enamel. The acid breaks down the enamel on your teeth and softens it, making the enamel more prone to decay. Evan sugar free sodas can damage your enamel.
Does soda cause dental problems? ›
Carbonation also adds to the acidity of soft drinks. These acids can erode and reduce the hardness of the enamel that protects your teeth and lead to tooth decay. So even diet sodas and other sugar-free carbonated beverages can lead to cavities.
Does cola erode teeth? ›
When you drink soda the sugars in the soda mix with the bacteria in your mouth to form acid. This acid attacks your teeth and can wear down the tooth enamel. The acid breaks down the enamel on your teeth and softens it, making the enamel more prone to decay. Evan sugar free sodas can damage your enamel.
What drinks don't cause enamel erosion? ›
Learn about the best non-acidic drinks for your teeth and why they're great beverage options.
- If your dentist has mentioned enamel erosion to you or you're concerned about your teeth's health, one of the best things you can do is minimize the number of acidic beverages you drink. ...
- Dairy Milk. ...
- Plain, Still Water. ...
- Tea.
