General Dentistry: Drinks That Can Harm Your Teeth

Practitioners of general dentistry take an interest in the things that patients eat and drink. The reason is that certain foods and drinks can be more damaging to teeth than others. Drinks may be even more harmful than food because a liquid flows throughout the mouth and can douse every tooth. Therefore, what patients drink may have even greater impact on oral health than the food they eat.

What makes a drink harmful to teeth?

General dentistry recognizes several factors that can make a drink potentially harmful to teeth:

• Acidity: Exposure to acid can soften tooth enamel
• Sugar Content: Sweet drinks can promote tooth decay
• Drying Potential: Drinks that contain caffeine or another diuretic can dry out the mouth, providing an environment for harmful bacteria to grow
• Staining: Drinks that contain dyes may stain the teeth

What are some of the most harmful drinks?

There are many drinks that can harm teeth. Some are regarded as unhealthy in general. Others have a reputation for being healthy but are harmful from a general dentistry perspective because of the negative effect that they can have on teeth.

Fruit punch

Drinks labeled fruit punch contain little, if any, natural fruit juice. Instead, the primary ingredient is high fructose corn syrup, which is a type of sugar. If the sugar content alone was not enough to make this drink unhealthy, fruit punch is also highly acidic.

Soda

Soda contains almost every element that is harmful to the teeth. Caffeinated sodas are drying, regular sodas have high sugar content, and all varieties are highly acidic. Cola is the worst in this regard, while root beer has been shown to have approximately the same effect on the teeth as water.

Another problem with soda is that many people tend to drink several cans or bottles per day, or else keep sipping on the same drink throughout the day. Sipping on a harmful drink increases the exposure and may do more damage.

Fruit juice

Many fruits contain acid at baseline, although often not enough to cause damage to teeth. When the juices are processed to be sold as drinks, they are often concentrated, which increases the acid content. Therefore, while fruit juices may be healthy in other respects, they can be harmful to the teeth.

Some fruit juices contain more acid than others. The potential damage can be lessened by using 50% water to dilute the juice.

Sparkling water

Ordinary water is healthy for the teeth because it increases the flow of saliva. However, flavors and additives intended to make water more appealing increase its acid level, making it more harmful for the teeth.

Wine

Wine comes in red and white varieties. It might seem natural to assume that red wine would be more harmful to the teeth because of potential staining. In fact, white wine is actually worse because it is more acidic than red wine.

Conclusion

Several factors can make certain drinks harmful for teeth. In addition to choosing beverages that promote better oral health, getting regular general dentistry care can help resolve problems of decay due to particular drinks.

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