Drinks That Ruin Your Teeth

While regular brushing, flossing, and visits to a trusted family dentistry practice in Boca Raton can significantly improve your oral health, the drinks you regularly consume can also impact your teeth and gums. To help you keep your mouth healthy, we’ve put together a list of teeth-harming beverages you may need to cut back on.  

The Worst Drinks for Your Teeth

Soda

Although soda is one of America’s favorite drinks, it can wreak havoc on your teeth. Besides being incredibly acidic, this carbonated beverage is heavily laden with sugar. Carbonation and the acidity of the sweeteners used in soda lower the pH in your mouth and weaken the protective enamel on your teeth. 

Sipping soda all day increases your risk of tooth decay and cavities. With each swig of this carbonated beverage, a harmful chemical reaction starts and lasts for around 20 minutes. Additionally, dark-colored soda contains dyes that leave unsightly stains on your teeth. 

You can reduce the damage of soda on your teeth by drinking water after every soda. Although rinsing the acid and sugar from your teeth with water won’t completely reverse soda’s damaging effects, it will restore your mouth’s proper pH sooner.  

Fruit Juice

While fresh fruit juices are packed with vitamins and minerals, they contain a higher concentration of acids than actual fruits. However, it’s important to note that the type of juice determines its acidity level. For example, citrus-based and cranberry juices are more acidic than freshly juiced drinks made with watermelon, beets, or pear.  

When the acidic substances from fruit juices stick to your teeth, they react with the bacteria in your mouth, causing them to produce lactic acid. Since lactic acid is notorious for eroding tooth enamel, it’s known to let decay thrive.  

Drinking fruit juice in moderation, using a straw, and watering it down can help lessen potential damage. However, the best way to get the nutrients you need from fruits is to eat the fruit rather than drink its juice.  

Wine

Some people think that white wine is better than red because it doesn’t contain strong dyes that stain teeth. However, before you reach for a glass of white wine, know that it’s more acidic than its red counterpart. For this reason, white wine can cause considerable damage to your enamel and leave your teeth more susceptible to staining and discoloration.  

Although red and white wines are both bad for your teeth, you don’t have to cut this drink out entirely. The next time you decide to enjoy a bottle of wine with friends, try taking eating cheese with it. Cheese creates a coating on the teeth that protects them from wine’s staining and acidic properties. 

Sports and Energy Drinks

Since sports and energy drinks are excellent sources of electrolytes, most people drink them after a workout. Unfortunately, these drinks are incredibly acidic and are packed with sugar. In other words, sports and energy drinks make your teeth more vulnerable to enamel erosion, tooth decay, and cavities. 

To minimize their damaging effects on your teeth, try drinking through a straw and rinsing your mouth with water immediately after consuming the beverage. In addition, gulping the sports and energy drinks down fast instead of slowly sipping them over time or holding the drink in your mouth before swallowing can help reduce the time your teeth come in contact with the wine.  

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At Boca Dental Group, we provide top-quality and personalized treatments for all of your dental needs. Contact our office today to make an appointment with our skilled dental team

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