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Dental Decay

Megan Moynihan never suspected that her regularly scheduled visit to the dentist would have her facing the drill. "I came in for a check-up and a cleaning and they took X-rays. It turned out that I had 7 cavities." says Megan.

Megan was shocked. She never had any problems with dental decay. But, she immediately knew the culprit. "Sugar! It was all the soda I was drinking, and the gum I was chewing, it was just bathing my teeth in sugar, and causing dental decay." Certainly, sugar can cause cavities, but it's not the only reason soda is bad for the teeth. According to a recent study conducted by the Academy of General dentistry, carbonated beverages and canned iced tea can significantly damage enamel, the protective shell around teeth.

Sodas and teas contain flavor additives and organic acids which aggressively erode teeth. According to dentist, Dr. Andrew Lask, "With the soda you have two things going on that can cause dental decay. You have an acidic liquid and you have the sugar in it. The bacteria that lays in your mouth lays on the tooth enamel, produce acids, so you have twice the amount of acids." The acid in soda and canned tea actually eats away enamel, making teeth more prone to dental decay.

And when that acid is combined with sugar it's the perfect recipe for enamel breakdown. "The soda actually sticks more to the tooth than saliva does." says Dr. Lask. A typical 12-ounce can of soda contains approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar. For Megan that means she was ingesting nearly 30 teaspoons of sugar a day. When it came to soda consumption, you might want to say she was a repeat offender.

"I was drinking maybe 2 or 3 sodas everyday." says Megan. The study also determined that overall soft drink consumption steadily continues to rise, which is translating into an increase in oral health problems, namely cavities. In 1977, 12-19 year olds drank 16 ounces of soda a day. In 1996, this same age group consumed an average of 28 ounces a day.

"You just want to minimize the amount of time that the sugar and acid is in contact with the tooth." says Dr. Lask. Drinking soda through a straw may actually help reduce the amount of soda that comes into direct contact with the teeth. Medical experts also recommend that soda drinkers rinse their mouths out with water after drinking and use toothpaste that contains fluoride, which protects teeth. As for Megan, she's stopped the soda cold turkey. And now, her teeth aren’t alone in receiving the benefit.

"When I stopped drinking soda I felt so much better. I just felt more hydrated and I wasn't bogged down with all the sugar." says Megan. And don't be fooled with diet soda says Dr. Lask. Even though they do not have heaping teaspoons of sugar, they do contain acid which can contribute to enamel breakdown.

For more information on Dental decay, click here

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