Drinks Offer Energy—and Cavities
Add energy drinks and sports drinks to the list of beverages that are tough on teeth. A study in General Dentistry, the journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), checked the acidity of five beverages and found that these drinks had the most potential for eroding tooth enamel. Energy drinks like Gatorade contain sugars and, therefore, behave like soda in the mouth when they're ingested.
Energy drinks are popular among young people, whose permanent teeth are more prone to harm due to the porous quality of their immature tooth enamel. The AGD suggests you go easy on sodas, sports drinks, and energy drinks. Drink them through a straw held at the back of the mouth away from the teeth, and rinse your mouth with water after you drink one.1,2
1 “The Price Paid for Higher Energy Is Highly Dangerous to Teeth.” Academy of General Dentistry, February 22, 2008. www.agd.org/support/articles/?ArtID=2985 Accessed 2010.
2 “The Potential Effects of pH and Buffering Capacity on Dental Erosion.” B.M. Owens. General Dentistry. November–December 2007, vol. 55, no. 6, pp. 527–31. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18050578 Accessed 2010.
Online Editor:
Sims, Jane
Online Medical Reviewer:
Eakle, Stephan W., DDS
Date Last Reviewed:
1/6/2011
Date Last Modified:
1/6/2011