HOW DIFFERENT DRINKS AFFECT YOUR TEETH (ACIDITY, CARBONATION, SUGAR, AND MORE)

Who doesn’t enjoy drinking Coke or Pepsi with their meal? But these drinks are high in sugar, which everyone knows is bad for your teeth. So, you may switch to sparkling water, but carbonated water is mildly acidic, and acidic solutions can erode tooth enamel. Submerge a tooth in these carbonate days for a few days only to find it has vanished.

So, are these sparkling waters, flavored sodas, and similar beverages a legitimate cause for concern? Let’s understand the science behind acidity, carbonation, salivary flow, sugar, and dental health. So next time you can make an informed decision.

Relationship Between Acidic Drinks and Dental Health

Tooth enamel which protects our teeth is made up of a crystalline form of calcium and phosphorus called hydroxyapatite. The acid content present in these drinks can cause demineralisation of tooth enamel. If demineralisation continues then it can lead to dental pain, aesthetic issues, and increased risk of cavities.

Let's understand in simple terms, that a lot of these drinks contain acids like citric or malic acid. In order to maintain balance, the acid borrows alkaline minerals such as calcium and phosphate from teeth. In return, it donates hydrogen ions, acidifying tooth enamel and causing erosion.

Factors Causing Dental Erosion

1. The acidity of the drink

The acid content in the beverage plays a major role in tooth erosion. The more acid content in the beverage the greater the risk of tooth erosion. A 2015 study found that the erosion risk of 3 pH ranges based on studies that assessed how easily hydroxyapatite (your tooth enamel’s main mineral) dissolves. The findings are as follows.

• Drinks with a pH < 3.0 are extremely erosive
• Drinks with a pH between 3.0–3.99 are erosive
• Drinks with a pH ≥ 4.0 are minimally erosive

Most of the juices, sodas and energy drinks are considered erosive or extremely erosive because whether naturally occurring or added in the manufacturing process, most of these beverages contain citric acid, malic acid, or phosphoric acid, which are harmful for the teeth enamel.

2. Flow rate of saliva

Saliva has a pH between 6.2–7.6. which helps to neutralise the acidic solution in your mouth. The calcium and phosphate ions present in your saliva help maintain pH and dental mineral balance. Along with the minerals, the flow rate of saliva also plays a crucial role in protecting teeth enamel. Higher flow rates of saliva clear acid faster and limit erosion.

A study found that erosive tooth lesions had about half the flow rate (0.6 mL/min) of healthy controls (1.1 mL/min) (1).

3. Length of exposure

The longer you expose your teeth to an acidic solution, the more dental erosion will occur, it's that simple. A scientific paper observed that dental wear correlated with “the habit of holding drinks in the mouth before swallowing” led to higher erosion than swallowing it immediately (2).

Relationship Between Sugary Drinks and Dental Health

Experts believe that sugar helps to grow oral bacteria creating harmful organic acids that erode your tooth enamel. A bacteria named streptococcus is a significant driver of cavities. Sugar slightly lowers your pH which may affect how long it takes to neutralize salivary pH.
One study found that drinking a sugary soda led to more acidic saliva for up to 45 minutes, with the largest drop in the first few minutes (3).

Conclusion

Hope this article helped you understand how your favourite sodas, juices and sparkling water affect your dental health. Sparkling pH water at pH 5 is least likely to cause any damage to teeth enamel. Carbonated and acidic drinks are the biggest culprits for the erosion of teeth enamel.

Acidic drink increases the erosion process and decreases the rate of saliva flow harming your teeth enamel. Choose non acidic and non-sugary drinks to protect your teeth enamel from erosion.

FAQs

1. Is soda good for acidity?

Soda is not good for acidity. It can irritate the stomach lining and cause heartburn and acid reflux.

2. What happens if you drink soda every day?

Drinking soda every day can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease.

3. Is carbonated water acidic?

Carbonated water also known as sparkling water is mildly acidic with a pH of 3-4