Energy Drinks, Soda Pop & Your Teeth
Hi, this is Doctor Robert Antolak, The Gentle Dentist, located at Shelby Township, Michigan, Macomb County. Our phone number is 586-247-3500 and our website is Thegentledentist.com.
What I’d like to talk to you today is about how cavities are formed. You know, one thing I see that’s very disheartening is someone in their 20’s who comes in with a series of cavities throughout their mouths. And sometimes they are ignorant to that. In other words, they don’t know what happens and why they get it. Unfortunately, many times it’s due to the consumption of soda pop and sports energy drinks consumed on a regular basis. What that does, is that will actually form, because it’s so high in sugar and acid, that it starts de-calcifying the teeth. When we eat food our saliva and give it time, it actually will repair the damage that’s done when you’re eating food.
In your saliva, there are actually buffers that help to reduce the acid that’s released when you eat sugar, and even food. Those buffers that are in our saliva will naturally form and they will re-calcify your teeth. The problem is people are constantly sipping pop, usually Coke, Pepsi and Mountain Dew are the ones that are the most constantly consumed by people in their 20s and 30s. Over time, our body’s saliva doesn’t have a chance to re-mineralize it. Because acid is constantly there and the bacteria in our bodies uses the sugars to help to dissolve the teeth. It forms an acid as a by-product of its metabolism.
So as the acid sits on the teeth and it slowly dissolves the teeth. Sometimes you can’t even see at all but all of a sudden you start seeing some little black lines between the teeth. Usually by the time that forms it’s already throughout a lot of the mouth.
It’s a very discouraging fact that sometimes I will address our dental patients with this and they usually have a couple of responses. Some dental patients know about this but they just continually drink pop. It’s an addiction. You know, if you take caffeine and sugar, which brings your level of energy up and of course you crash.
Then there are other people who don’t even know about the fact that these pops, which they constantly consume, cause cavities. They don’t even know why they have cavities. All of a sudden they find their self with 15 or 20 teeth that have cavities in them and it’s pretty disappointing.
What we try to do at our dental office in Shelby Township, is to really encourage folks to stop that habit. And we can do some things like using xylitol as a sweetener, which will help to reverse that process and change their habits and just drink regular water. Regular water is going to be your best thing because it’s neutral in Ph. In other words, it’s not acidic, and it helps to re-mineralize teeth. It is best for our bodies.
You know, I had a dental patient the other day who was constantly consuming these beverages and developed these big cavities in her mouth. And now, unfortunately, she’s in her 20s and has been diagnosed with diabetes. The constant load of sugar has decreased her insulin levels in her body. And now she uses insulin, so she’s diabetic. So that can affect you for your whole life.
I would really encourage any of you. I’m speaking to the young folks who are out there listening. If you find yourself drinking pop, if you have to drink some, drink it with a meal. Drink it at one setting, rather than sipping it all day. And when you drink it, drink it through a straw. The straw allows it to go straight down the throat, and not get in contact with the teeth. You know, this could lead to thousands, and thousands and thousands of dollars in dentistry, which could really be prevented by good dental care and taking care of your body.
Energy Drinks, Soda Pop & Your Teeth
In our Shelby Township dental office, we really focus on prevention. We want to focus on you as a person. Not only with your body’s health, but with your dental health. So our phone number is 586-247-3500 if you’re interested. Or go to thegentledentist.com, and we’d like to take care of your needs.