How Sugary Drinks Harm Your Smile?

Written By Marija Nestorvic / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Besides daily brushing and flossing your teeth, have you ever wondered how healthy your diet is? Are you consuming processed foods with added sugars?

The main problem of the modern diet is drinking too many sugary beverages such as cola, soda, orange juice, energy drinks, etc. It may have serious consequences on your general health and organs like the liver, kidneys, and, of course, teeth.

How Sugary Drinks Affect Your Teeth?

Let's say that one can of cola contains approximately 33 grams of sugar. If you think about your daily allowance, which is about 20 grams for women and 35 grams for men, you've already exceeded your limit. This means that chocolate isn't your worst enemy after all. 

When consuming these beverages, sugar from your drink interacts with germs in your mouth and forms acid. This acid attacks your teeth’s layer called dentin that lies beneath enamel. It may cause numerous dental problems and the most common ones are erosion and cavities. 

Erosion 

The main causes of erosion are foods and beverages. Formed acids destroy calcium in the tooth and practically ruin your tooth enamel. Enamel is the first defense of every chemical that can potentially harm your teeth.

Saliva also has a significant function in neutralizing acids in your mouth. Consuming acidic foods and beverages with a pH level of 5.5 or lower increases this process. You can recognize it by tooth sensitivity, discoloration, or cracks.

Cavity 

Cavities may occur by feeding germs in your mouth with too much sugar from soft drinks and foods like candies, bread, cereals. It's a common dental problem nowadays, especially among children. It can develop after destroying tooth enamel with acids, and it's followed by bad breath, toothache, or tooth sensitivity. 

Is Dietary Soda a Better Solution?

No matter how much you want to hear the opposite, dietary drinks are not a better solution. At some point, they can be more harmful than regular soft drinks. They might seem ideal because of the artificial sweeteners, but dietary sodas are often highly acidic.

Also, caffeine from these beverages and energy drinks usually affects saliva production which leads to dehydration. Without enough saliva to wash away food debris and sugar, developing tooth decay is more than possible. 

What Are the Best Drinks for Kids? 

Parents usually use the method of putting their kids into bed with a bottle of milk. This method shouldn't be used on kids or babies. Even if babies don't have teeth yet, sugar from milk might produce tooth decay.

It's usually called baby bottle tooth decay, and you can stop it by giving your child more water during the day between meals and gently brushing gums and teeth with wet gauze or silicone toothbrushes and suitable toothpaste.

Even if fluoride is good for the teeth, don't use it before your child's third year. Limit daily intake of juices to four ounces and avoid giving highly acidic juices to young children. 

How to Prevent Damage? 

People from Smile Solutions always recommend dietary changes. Even if it seems impossible, quitting any sugary beverage would make enormous progress. But, if you can't give up on it completely, using a straw should lower the risk of developing further dental problems. Always rinse it up with water and make sure to drink it after every meal.

One of the most common mistakes is immediate brushing. It can do the opposite and damage your enamel, so always wait for 30 to 60 minutes. Finally, regular checkups and excellent oral hygiene play a vital role in prevention. 

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral health and skincare. If you are looking for more health resources make sure to check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Marija Nestorovic has been a health and diet enthusiast for as long as she remembers. She's passionate about questioning every new dietary trend that comes up and determining whether it's scientifically proven or just another fad diet. She enjoys spreading her knowledge on the subject and helping people kick-start their weight loss healthily and sustainably.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Shane on Unsplash