Teeth have a new Public Enemy Number One: Energy Drinks
Sure, you need them to stay awake at night, or to get you through a Monday, but a reliance on Energy drinks can cause some serious damage. Not only will you build up a major reliance on these sugary/caffeine filled liquids, but your teeth will also be in peril!
Sports and Energy drink consumption has gone through the roof in recent years. While the marketing angle for Sports drinks is that they replenish your body with all those awesome nutrients you didn’t know you needed, they are also just bathing your teeth in acids. These acids can wear down enamel at a crazy rate.
Researched decided to test out just how bad these drinks are for your pearly whites. They immersed tooth samples in a wide variety of sports and energy drinks for 15 minutes a day, followed by two hours of artificial saliva (Spa day for your teeth).
The verdict? There was damage to the enamel after 5 days of exposure. What’s more? Energy drinks showed any even greater rate of destruction (who’d have guessed?)!
Some of you may keep on guzzling down Energy drinks even after this bit of shocking news, and that’s quite alright. But if you’re interested, here are a few tips to reduce the damage to your teeth:
- You could always minimize your intake of Energy and Sports drinks.
- Have a glass of water, or chew some sugar-free gum after you’ve had one of these sugary substances. It will increase the flow of saliva, thus watering down the acidity.
- Wait at least an hour after you’ve had one of these drinks before you brush your teeth. Often times immediate brushing can just spread the acidity.
Have any thoughts about the new Public Enemy Number One? Let me know @FreemanOrtho or below in the comments!
