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Next time you head to a restaurant, take a look around and see what everyone is drinking. Chances are, you’re going to find a lot of people drinking soda. Soda is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. In fact, in the United States alone, statistics show that 50 to 80 percent of adolescents and nearly half of Americans of all ages drink at least one soda per day on average. Unfortunately, these many people don’t realize that soda is actually attacking their teeth, possibly compromising them to the point where treatment with dental implants will be required. Today, Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry is blogging from his Bethlehem, PA office to talk about soda and how it works to compromise your oral health.
Soda Really is Bad for Your Teeth
There are two main reasons for why soda is so bad for our teeth. These are:
- Sugar Content: Soda is actually very high in sugar content. When you take a drink of soda, this sugar ends up plastered to your teeth, where it will sit until it eventually wipes away. Sugar has proven to be bad for our teeth because it attracts bacteria. Bacteria uses the sugar present on our teeth to create acids, which will proceed to eat away at the layers of our teeth in a condition we refer to as tooth decay.
- Carbonation: In order to carbonate a beverage, carbonic acid is used. Much like the acid produced by bacteria on your teeth, carbonic acid will attack your teeth, going after the enamel protecting them from danger. Every time you drink a soda, your teeth are exposed to a 20 to 30-minute-long acid attack. After enough of these attacks, your teeth can be stripped of enamel, leaving them defenseless against conditions like tooth decay and gum disease.
We always advise our patients to give up soda. However, if you are unwilling to give the beverage up completely, there are some things you can do to minimize the damage your teeth receive from it:
- Drink your soda through a straw in order to prevent your teeth from getting a full blast of sugar and carbonation.
- Drink your soda in under 30 minutes in order to prevent your teeth from receiving a second or even third acid attack.
- Drink water directly after finishing your soda in order to wash away some of the sugar and carbonation from your teeth.
Call and Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Chaudhry
If you do happen to lose a tooth because you have consumed too much soda, rest assured that we will be able to restore your smile using dental implants. While we will first need to remove the infection or condition that cost you the missing tooth in the first place, we will eventually be able to provide you with beautiful replacement teeth that function just as well as your real teeth. If you would like to learn more, contact our office and schedule a no-obligation consultation with oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr. Ahmad Chaudhry today.
