Unless you are a committed athlete or someone with incredible self control, you have probably had a cup of coffee to start your day, or a cold soda with your meal. Even if you aren’t a nutritionist or dietitian you know that certain things are bad for you like excess sugar and carbonated drinks. How bad are they though? And what does it damage?

Damage to Teeth

Unlike an earthquake there isn’t a Richter scale to measure how much damage each drink will cause you. There are levels of acidity to think of though. Different drinks have different sugar levels and levels of acidity. The more sugar and the more acidity in a drink determines how much damage it will do to your teeth.

• Energy drinks are notorious for having dangerous amounts of sugar and caffeine in them. Although they might give you some energy for a couple hours, drinking energy drinks can cause irreversible damage by eroding tooth enamel and decaying your teeth just like carbonated drinks.
• Coffee does more damage by staining your teeth which affects the surface of your teeth. Also drinks like frappuccinos and flavored coffee drinks have loads of sugar which result in massive tooth decay especially if you are sipping on them for hours at a time.
• Soda and carbonated drinks are like triple threats. The combination of sugar, caffeine and carbonated water work together to destroy enamel and weaken the teeth. Not only will your teeth turn yellow over time but they will become weaker. Try to drink water while drinking soda to reduce the effects it has on your teeth.
• Fruit juices sound like a healthy option but even drinking 100% juice still has a variety of acids that erode teeth. Buying juice can also be tricky since most are filled with more sugar than anything else. Try to buy 100% juice to reduce your sugar intake which is also better for your waistline.

Contact Greenspoint Dental for any of your dental needs. We have cosmetic, general and restorative dentistry to help you get the smile you want.