Breaking news! Soda is bad for your teeth!
Wait. You already knew that, didn’t you? Well, who doesn’t need a reminder every so often?
A study published in the Journal of Dentistry back in April again confirmed that the more soda you drink, the higher your risk of developing caries (cavities). Analyzing data from across 4 years and more than 900 adults, the authors showed that adults who drank a sugary drink or two each day had a 31% greater chance of developing tooth decay than those who seldom or never drink the stuff. Those who drank three or more sweet beverages had a 33% higher risk.
Now, sure, you know soda is sugary, but do you know how sugary it actually is? A 20 ounce bottle of Coca-Cola has the same amount of sugar as five Little Debbie Swiss Rolls – 65 grams, to be exact. A 20 ounce bottle of Pepsi contains even more: 69 grams. With each sip, you’re soaking your teeth in sugar, which gets bacteria in your mouth pretty jazzed. They feed on that sugar, then excrete acid, which eats away at the surface of your teeth and creates cavities.
When it comes to soda in particular, sugar isn’t the only villain either. Phosphoric acid – a preservative which also gives soda a crisper taste – erodes enamel and makes your teeth more vulnerable to decay. Check out the videos below to see phosphoric acid chemically reacting with tooth enamel and how a tooth is affected over time:
The acids in fruit juice are a problem, as well.
And if you needed any more reminding as to the trouble with sugary drinks, just take a look at this list of health problems they contribute to. (Just as we were preparing this post, we saw news of yet another study showing how sugary drinks increase abdominal fat.)
Image via Soza Clinic