This is a very important topic that I feel should be addressed as many people are not aware of the effects soft drinks have upon the health of your teeth.
Without being too technical teeth are made from dentine and have a protective enamel around the tooth to stop it from being decayed.
However when, soft drinks mix with the natural bacteria in the mouth it forms a type of acid, which overtime brakes down the enamel allowing the tooth to become decayed and sensitive.
As a dentist it is very easy to recommend patients that they should avoid soft drinks and drink water instead, but in reality it can be very difficult to resist the temptation of drinking soft drinks, so therefore I recommend a few easy tips to help minimize soft drink- related damage to teeth.
Use a straw when drinking soft drinks as it may help reduce the contact between your teeth and the beverage.
Don’t brush your teeth straight after drinking your soft drink as the enamel is weaker due to the acid from the drink.
Don’t sip a soft drink over a long period of time as you are at risk of increasing the exposure to acid and the risk of damage leading to tooth decay. So for example if you have a can of soft drink, don’t take a sip an hour as your constantly exposing your teeth to the acid, drink the drink in one sitting.
Parents and guardians are advised that babies and toddlers should not be given soft drinks or even the sugar free kind in a bottle as children have a tendency to keep the bottle in one place in the mouth (front of the mouth) and even though they may not have any/all their teeth, they are at great risk of having tooth decay. The forming teeth can become rotten becoming blackened and loose as they grow.
It is very important that you see a dentist regularly so that they can help maintain the health of your mouth and teeth.