Soft Drinks and Your Teeth

The foods and beverages we consume can have an effect on our overall health. Our teeth are no exception. What you eat and drink directly affects oral health. Certain nutrients are essential for a healthy smile. Some things we consume can have a very negative affect on our teeth. Soft drinks are one of these.

The amount of soda consumed by the typical American has grown considerably in the past 40 years. Children and teenagers consume more soda than the rest of the population. This trend is troubling and detrimental to good oral health as soft drinks can wreak havoc on once healthy teeth.

Many people worry about the calories in soft drinks and the resulting weight gain of drinking too much. When it comes to your smile, sugar and acid are the real enemies.

The typical soft drink contains at least 10 tsp. of sugar and some brands contain up to 12 tsp. of sugar. This sounds bad to begin with but when you consider that sugar turns to harmful acid when combined with bacteria in the mouth, the grim picture looks worse.

In addition to sugar turning to acid, soft drinks are already loaded with harmful acid to begin with. This acid is harmful to healthy tooth enamel. The acid eventually breaks down the enamel leaving teeth soft and susceptible to decay. People actually use soft drinks to remove rust from nails and other objects. Just think about what that must do to your teeth!

If you want to consume soft drinks, do it in limited quantities. Consume smaller serving sizes. The typical serving of a soft drink these days is 20oz.

Try to limit yourself to only drinking soft drinks with meals.

If you do consume a soft drink, rinse your mouth with water when you are finished.

Even better, brush your teeth! Make sure you are brushing your teeth two times a day with a fluoride containing toothpaste.You should also be flossing twice a day.

The consumption of soft drinks combined with poor oral hygiene can lead to serious dental problems so keep your drinking of soft drinks to a minimum and take good care of your teeth and you will keep your healthy smile.