How Do Energy Drinks Impact Your Teeth?
Energy Drinks Are Making Your Teeth Rot. You may know that sodas are harmful for your teeth, due to the high levels of sugar in those drinks. But have you thought about another popular beverage promising a rush of energy, the energy drink? Here’s what happens when you consume energy drinks on a regular basis.
Why Energy Drinks Harm Your Teeth?
Counter to the popular thinking that only soda is terrible for your teeth, energy drinks can be just as bad. While sugar gets a bad rap, acidic drinks can be just as harmful as sweet ones. That means everything from lemonade to sports drinks and energy drinks can harm the teeth.
Sports Drinks Are just As Bad!
Energy drinks contain twice as much acid as sports drinks, which means greater potential for harm. From a scientific perspective, the acid in those energy drinks actually lowers the pH of your saliva by 2. Until the pH naturally restores itself, which takes time, the teeth are bathed in acid. The acid is so strong that it dissolves the enamel. Tooth enamel is not something your body can create more of, so when it dissolves, it places your teeth at greater risk. There have been cases of people with an addiction to energy drinks developing rotting teeth as a result of their drink of choice.
Acid and Your Teeth
Most people are well aware of the damage that drinking sugary sodas can do to their teeth. In fact, many people opt to avoid drinks with high sugar contents for this reason. However, fewer people are aware of the impact of acid on their teeth. Acid can have much the same impact as sugar. It wears down enamel, which can cause tooth sensitivity and make your teeth more vulnerable to decay. Drinks with high acid levels can be extremely damaging to your teeth, even if they don’t contact any sugar at all, for this reason.
Acid Levels in Energy Drinks
Energy drinks are notoriously acidic, whether they contain sugar or not. Most energy drinks are high in citric acid, which is used as a preservative, and which has been shown to strip enamel from teeth. Some of the most popular energy drinks, such as Rockstar and Red Bull Sugarfree, also have some of the highest levels of acidity. According to dentists, even one energy drink per day can be damaging.
Acid Protection For Your Teeth
The best thing you can do for your teeth is to give up energy drinks entirely or to significantly limit your intake. If you don’t want to give up your drinks, mix them with water to dilute them, and rinse your mouth afterward. Wait for 30 minutes before brushing, so that your mouth can naturally restore your pH levels. Failing to so could lead to more teeth damage.
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