Loading ...Do Soft Drinks Really Dissolve Tooth Enamel?
Several studies have been carried out to determine the damage soft drinks cause to the teeth enamels. The general dentistry journal has done a study that shows how soft drinks are hazardous to teeth. Teeth damage is not the only downfall when it comes to soft drinks. There is the issue of weight gain and diabetes because of the immense amount of sugar, and preservatives in the soft drinks.
Soft drinks harm the teeth in two major ways;
1. Through the sugar
2. Through the acid
Diabetes and obesity is as a result of the sugar content of soft drinks. The sugar also causes cavities that wear down the enamel thus causing serious tooth aches and teeth discoloration.
Soft drinks do not have a high concentration of water in them. This nullifies the neutrality part that would cause the drinks to be less acidic. According to the study that was done the year 2004, soft drinks have a ph scale of about three and at times go as low as two proving how acidic the drinks are.
Two major acidic components of soft drinks are;
1. Citric acid
2. Phosphoric acid
What happens is that these acids have a high affinity for calcium which is a major part of the teeth enamel. Constant consumption of the soft drinks will cause the enamel to be eroded. Enamels get damaged really fast because the concentration of the acid is swiftly taking in the enamel.
Soft drinks come in very many forms;
1. Majority of the sport drinks that people drink have these two acids that harm the teeth.
2. Energy drinks which happen to be very popular also have these acids that harm the tooth enamel.
3. Cola drinks are major culprits when it comes to teeth damage. The level of addiction of these drinks is why the teeth are damaged.
Preservatives that have been used in the soft drinks cause people to constantly crave for the soft drinks. So since consumption of soft drinks is a habit and is hard to break, having them with straws is a better option; though the possibility of the teeth never touching the soft drinks is very slim. Opting for water and non carbonated drinks is good for the teeth.
Acid corrodes anything it gets in contact with and since the enamel is made of the calcium mineral, it is not an exception. Soft drinks thus pose as a major threat to the wellbeing of teeth because the enamel basically protects the teeth. It is very sensitive in the sense that it does grow back once damaged. This makes the teeth susceptible to teeth cavities and teeth discoloration too.
This study indicates that candy is not the only tooth menace out there. There are the soft drinks that people are accustomed to that do not spare the status of the teeth at all. When the enamel is worn out, then the teeth can get any kind of damage that tends to be hard to fix. What should be remembered is that soft drinks have acid that are responsible for wearing out the enamel.
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