Is Diet Soda Safe for Teeth?
Many people drink diet sodas to lose weight, thinking it’s a better option. However, while limiting your sugar intake can help to reduce your waistline, it doesn’t necessarily mean a healthier body and mouth. The foods you eat and the beverages you drink affect your overall health. Diet or sugar-free drinks contain acids, which are as bad for your teeth as their sugary counterparts. While diet sodas may not contain sugar, they typically cause your teeth to erode. Both regular and diet soda weaken and destroy your tooth enamel. This often presents itself as tooth sensitivity, pitting in the teeth, opacity changes, and chalky appearance.
Sodas are linked to health problems like diabetes, obesity, cavities, and osteoporosis. The sugar in soda beverages mixes with the bacteria in your mouth and forms acids that weaken and destroy your teeth. This weakening of your teeth lasts around 20 minutes, which restarts after each sip. This continuous and repeated attack on your teeth both weakens your tooth enamel and makes you susceptible to tooth decay and possible costly dental work in the future.
Did you know that two weeks of exposure to regular Coca-Cola causes your enamel to dissolve at 2.8mg, while diet Coca-Cola causes 3mg of enamel degradation? Water is the most beneficial and healthy drink for actually hardening your enamel.
How to Protect Your Teeth
Drink in moderation. If you drink regular or diet soda, we recommend drinking in moderation and keeping it to no more than 12 ounces a day.
Hydrate with water. Drink water regularly throughout the day. This helps you to avoid drinking soda or at least helps you to keep your intake to less than 12 ounces per day. When drinking water, swish the water to dilute the acids and sugars in your mouth.
Brush and floss your teeth. Soda harms teeth by softening the enamel, so we recommend brushing and flossing your teeth 30-60 minutes after drinking regular or diet soda. This helps to reduce the weakening of your enamel.
Avoid drinking soda or any citrus or fruity-flavored drinks before bed. Studies have found that soda and citrus drinks like lemon and lime caused damage to teeth. These drinks are corrosive and harmful to your teeth.
Schedule bi-annual dental exams and cleanings. Regular visits to your dentist can catch tooth decay early and prevent costly dental work in the future.
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Andrew Kim, DDS is an Escondido dentist providing advanced dental treatment to the Escondido communities and the Northern San Diego area. We make your comfort and oral health our top priority. Book your appointment today!