Energy Drinks and Your Teeth
If you’re someone who loves energy drinks and relies on these beverages for a pick-me-up during the day, you may be causing damage to your teeth. While consuming an energy drink on the rare occasion isn’t likely to cause tooth damage, you may be negatively impacting your dental health if you’re drinking energy drinks regularly. Here’s what you should know about the dental health impacts of energy drinks—
How Energy Drinks Ruin Your Teeth
There are two reasons that energy drinks are bad for dental health: energy drinks contain high levels of sugar and are also highly acidic.
- High levels of sugar. The first reason that energy drinks are bad for dental health is that they tend to contain high levels of sugar. Sugar is bad for teeth health because it serves as food for the bacteria that live in your mouth. When you consume a lot of sugar, the bacteria have a feeding frenzy, multiplying rapidly. These bacteria can ultimately cause tooth decay, bad breath, gum disease, and other oral health complications. Avoiding beverages with added sugar is strongly recommended for improved oral health.
- High acidity levels. Another reason that energy drinks are so bad for teeth—even worse than some other sugar-filled beverages—is their low pH level. The lower a pH of a substance, the higher its acidity. When a highly acidic liquid comes in contact with teeth, it can cause irreversible damage to tooth enamel. Dental erosion from exposure to highly acidic beverages can have serious consequences, including tooth sensitivity, decay, cavities, and more.
How to Maintain High Energy Levels without Energy Drinks
If you feel dependent on energy beverages to get you through the day, you should consider other options. First, start with small lifestyle changes—getting plenty of sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and maintaining and treating other health conditions can all naturally improve energy levels. If you do need a boost, drinking plenty of water, increasing your vitamin load, and considering naturally caffeinated beverages in moderate amounts, such as coffee or green tea, may help. If you can’t give up energy drinks, consider using a straw to reduce direct contact with your teeth, and be sure to rinse your mouth out after drinking.
Improve Your Dental Health Today: Call Distinctive Dental Solutions
To learn more about ways to improve your dental health, or to get a dental check-up and cleaning, reach out to the dentists at Distinctive Dental Solutions today. You can reach us by phone or online to get started. We are accepting new patients.
