What’re the Side Effects of Soda on Your Teeth?

What’re the Side Effects of Soda on Your Teeth?

November 1, 2022

If you’re like, 50 percent of Americans might have had your fix of your daily sugary beverage favoring soda as your preferred choice. High-sugar soft drinks are associated with obesity, type II diabetes, and weight gain.

Unfortunately, sodas can also impact your smile, making you vulnerable to cavities and noticeable tooth decay.

The CDC confirms men are more likely to have sodas and sugary drinks, and teenagers get the most, drinking about 273 calories of sodas daily. However, adults in their 20s and 30s have fewer calories daily, reducing the above number to 252.

When you drink sodas, the sugars present in the drink interact with your mouth bacteria to form acids that attack your teeth. Regular and sugar-free sodas also contain acids that attack the teeth. Therefore when you have a sip of soda, you start the reaction in your mouth, lasting approximately 20 minutes. Unfortunately, your teeth remain under constant attack if you continue sipping all day.

The Detrimental Effect of Soda on Your Teeth

Two primary dental effects of drinking soda include enamel erosion and cavities.

Enamel erosion starts when the acids in the beverages confront the tooth enamel, the protective layer of your teeth. It results in reducing the hardness of the enamel surface. Food juices and sports drinks also soften tooth enamel without creating further damage.

On the other hand, cavities, besides affecting the enamel, also affect the dentin and do not stop if you have tooth-colored fillings on the teeth. Tooth enamel damage is an open invitation for cavities to form on your teeth. In addition, cavities are a familiar concern among people having sodas regularly because they need treatments from the dentist near you to fix damaged teeth.

Is the Damage Preventable?

The damage is not challenging to prevent but merely requires you to quit soda. Unfortunately, if you can’t stop having foods that are harsh for your teeth, you must adopt preventive measures to lessen the damage your teeth might incur. The measures include:

  • Drink sodas in moderation, limiting yourself to one drink daily and no more. The one drink you have will create sufficient damage.
  • Do not allow sodas to remain in your mouth but gulp it down. You prevent damage to your teeth by drinking sodas faster, giving them less time to stay in contact with your teeth.
  • Using a straw for drinking might appear outdated, but the technique effectively prevents damaging acids and sugars from contacting your teeth.
  • Rinsing your mouth after having sodas helps wash away any excess sugars and acids to prevent them from attacking your teeth.
  • Do not consider brushing your teeth soon after having your soda. The friction of brushing against the vulnerable tooth surfaces is harmful and can further erode tooth enamel. You must wait for at least 30 to 60 minutes before brushing to benefit your teeth.
  • Arrange meetings with the dentist in Little Rock for cleanings every six months or more frequently if the dentist recommends identifying and treating problems before they aggravate to leave you with severe concerns.

How to Manage Without Soda?

Although sodas have become part and parcel of life, there are also on the list of foods to avoid for good oral health. If you value your dental health highly, you must ensure that you avoid the harmful foods that can damage your teeth merely by being in your mouth.

If you think your favorite Pepsi or Coca-Cola do not because much harm, you are sadly mistaken because they are the most harmful products on the market. Dr. Pepper and Gatorade do not lag and compete with their counterparts on how much damage they can create.

Sprite, diet Dr. Pepper, and diet coke are some sodas without harmful levels of acids in them but continue to remain powerful because they are relatively acidic.

Sodas aren’t exactly a healthy choice when considering beverages. Unfortunately, they have become popular, and nearly 50 percent of Americans consume at least one soda daily to satisfy their cravings. After understanding the detrimental effects of sodas on your teeth, if you want to continue your habit, you can enjoy yourself but do it in moderation to protect your dental health while you satisfy your cravings.

Knight Dental Care recommends patients avoid most varieties of sodas because they harm the teeth than cause any good. If you want to learn more about how sodas harm your teeth, discuss different brands with the dentist to safeguard your dental health.

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