How much sugar do you suppose is just below the surface of that soda you’re holding? If you’re like most of us, you never actually bother to read the nutrition label – you just know that Coke pairs well with just about anything you’re having for lunch that day.
You might be far less inclined to incorporate things like soda throughout meals if you understood the truth about how detrimental these types of beverages are in regards to oral health. In fact, according to a study conducted through Harvard, “Sugary drinks are a major contributor to the obesity epidemic,” meaning they also affect your overall health in significant ways.
Let’s lay down a golden rule before moving forward – any drink labeled as a ‘soft’ drink, or includes any type of ‘ade’, is saturated in sugars for sweetening. Fruit juices are no better as they often include heaping amounts of sugar.
Such beverages pack a large calorie-intake that we don’t actually feel, hence the contributing factor to weight issues in America. Just as we don’t feel what sugary beverages are doing to our weight, we most certainly don’t see how damaging it is to our teeth.
Sugar can overload the protective enamel of your teeth, the only barrier against decay. When the enamel is compromised, decay can infect your natural tooth and threaten its life – you can never regain a natural tooth once it’s lost to decay.
Our mouths are a natural melting pot, containing more single strands of bacteria than there are people in the world. Sugar coats our teeth and provides fuel to bacteria, which in turn create a biofilm byproduct we know as ‘plaque’. Plaque festering around your teeth releases acids that degrade your enamel and even irritate your gums, causing them to recede and develop periodontitis in serious cases.
Limit your intake of sugary beverages and always keep a brush handy to keep your smile protected – it’s not a bad idea to brush after a sugary drink or dessert. Health experts also remind that you shoot for ‘green’ beverages – things with low sweetener like water or tea.