Blog

If you’re watching TV, chances are it’s only a short matter of time before you see an ad for a soda beverage. The production of soft drinks is one of the largest industries in the world. About half of all adults worldwide drink a can of soda every day, and 25 percent of adults drink more than one soda per day. That number is a little higher for youths, but it shows how addicted modern society is to sugary drinks.

Sodas are simply a part of the American diet and have replaced water and other beverages as the go-to form of hydration. Whether someone refers to it as soda, pop, or cola, it is one of the top causes of tooth decay in America.

Damage Soda Does

In Western society, there’s an unhealthy desire to “supersize” everything, which presents a major problem when practiced with soda, considering that just a 12-ounce soda contains eight to 10 teaspoons of sugar – the recommended daily limit by the American Heart Association.

When you drink soda, it’s akin to coating your teeth with liquid sugar. It washes over and in between teeth, and works hard to create cavities in tooth enamel. For proof, just drop a piece of steak into a glass of soda and observe what happens. Even though tooth enamel is the toughest substance in the human body, it’s no match for the corrosive effects of soda.

Many sodas contain phosphoric and citric acids – both of which are damaging to tooth enamel, as well as any exposed dentin for those with a receding gum line. If teeth already have bacteria-ridden plaque, any contact with the sugars in soda will cause the bacteria to metabolize the sugar into more acids that eat away at teeth.

Avoid Soda and Its Dangers

The best solution for avoiding the harmful effects of soda is completely removing it from your diet. If you cannot avoid it altogether, try to limit soda to special occasions, and use a straw to drink it, as that gets it past your teeth with only minimal contact.

If you don’t have a straw, it’s better to drink soda in a short period of time – do not sip it. Sipping it over time simply gives soda more opportunity to damage your tooth enamel.

Anytime you finish drinking a soda, rinse out your mouth with water. Tap water, or any fluoridated water, helps dilute the sugars and acids found in soda.

By all means, don’t go to bed with a soda by your side to sip when you wake at night. Water should be your sole source of hydration before and during sleeping hours. The mouth dries out at night, especially if you tend to breathe through it. Saliva is one of the mouth’s first defenses against decay. To keep your mouth moist, you could also use a moisturizing dental rinse made specifically for dry mouth.

So, You Just Love Soda

If you like to drink soda with all of your meals, or you often reach for a soda around the clock, try to change that habit. Keeping a pitcher of cold water in the fridge, and not stocking up on cases of soda at a time, may help you drink less soda. Do whatever you can to cut back or eliminate sodas from your daily diet.

Keep in mind that like soft drinks, sports drinks and fruit juices can also damage your teeth due to high sugar or acid content, so do whatever you can to integrate water into your lifestyle as much as possible.

Compassionate Dental Care in Plantation, Florida

If you have problems with your teeth for any reason – whether from drinking soda or just from neglecting to see a dentist out of fear or anxiety – then Dr. Ernie Soto and his team can help you. He offers IV sedation for patients who need it in order to get dental care.

Call our office at (954) 368-6264 or book your appointment securely online – your teeth will thank you.