As the weather warms up, which of your favorite summertime beverages will you be reaching for to quench your thirst? It’s common knowledge that drinking too many sugary sodas drastically increases your risk of tooth decay. However, you’re not doing your teeth any favors by choosing energy and sports drinks instead. Read on as your Covington dentist explains how these popular drinks can permanently damage your smile and what you can do to protect your oral health.
What Do Energy & Sports Drinks Do to Teeth?
Energy and sports drinks may not always be as sugary as soda, but they are just as acidic. The more often these acidic beverages are exposed to your teeth, the more enamel they burn through. Unlike the rest of your body, your enamel cannot repair itself. As it is stripped away by routinely consuming sports or energy drinks, your teeth become weaker and more vulnerable to staining, decay, chips, cracks, gum disease, and serious dental infections.
Recently, dental experts conducted a study on the impact of 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks on teeth. Samples of extracted human molars were doused in one of the 22 beverages for 15 minutes, then an artificial saliva for two hours afterwards. This cycle was repeated four times a day for five consecutive days. The results showed that these beverages caused three times more enamel erosion than soda, with energy drinks causing twice as much damage as sports drinks.
Other Ways Sports & Energy Drinks Impact Oral Health
Unfortunately, researchers have found that these popular beverages can harm your teeth in several different ways, including:
- Creating an environment that fosters the growth of oral bacteria, therefore increasing your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
- Causing a “wired” feeling that encourages a condition known as bruxism, or nightly teeth grinding, which can weaken or break teeth.
- Promoting more acid reflux production, which can eventually lead to more cavities.
Protecting Your Smile While Staying Fit & Hydrated
Maintaining great oral health and staying hydrated throughout summer are both important to your overall wellbeing. To keep your teeth strong and your gums healthy, keep these tips in mind:
- When consuming energy or sports drinks, use a straw or dilute them with water to protect your teeth.
- Wait at least 12-30 minutes after drinking an acidic beverage to brush your teeth. This gives your saliva enough time to neutralize the lingering acids.
- Visit your dentist twice a year for checkups and preventive treatments. They can work with you to develop a healthy hydration regimen that protects your oral health.
The last thing you need while enjoying this time of year is a cavity or broken tooth from drinking too many acidic beverages! Protect your sunny smile this summer and drink plenty of water throughout the day instead.
About the Practice
At MoreSMILES Dental Spa in Covington, LA, we are dedicated to helping our patients achieve optimal oral health and maintain it for life. We use the most advanced dental technology to screen for a wide variety of issues at every routine dental checkup. This allows your highly experienced dental team to spot and stop any potential problems as early as possible. We are delighted to educate our patients about their oral health and how to best care for their smiles at home, so feel free to contact us with any further questions via our website or at (985) 888-0668.