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The Scoop on Beverages…

What’s the scoop on soda and other drinks?

Numerous articles in social media have discussed soda and other beverages and the approach is usually from a health perspective but rarely from the dental health perspective. Truthfully, dentists and hygienists consider the issue differently than other health care professionals.  For your teeth, sugar is sugar and it doesn’t matter if the sugar is from a soda, juice, performance beverages or lattes.

Sugary liquids bathe the teeth in sugar and are able to get into every nook and cranny of the mouth. It’s even worse if you are sipping on the drink because it increases the amount of exposure time your teeth have to the sugars.  If you want to have a sweet drink, you are much better having it with a meal so your teeth are exposed all at once to the sugars from the drink and the sugars from the foods.

Artificial sweeteners are better for the teeth than sugars. However, many artificially sweetened beverages still have a high acidic level that can be damaging to your teeth and of course, many beverages stain your teeth.  In order of preference, here’s our recommendations for drink selections from a dental standpoint:

1. Drink water!
2. Drink beverages with artificial sweeteners or no sweeteners (unsweetened coffee or tea) with your meal.
3. Drink beverages with artificial sweeteners or no sweeteners at non-meal times.
4. Drink sugary beverages with your meal.
5. Drink sugary beverages at non-meal times. (Make this the rare exception.)

Remember, brushing and flossing after drinks with sugar can help.  So if you drink juice and sweetened coffees with your breakfast make sure you brush your teeth after breakfast instead of before. Brushing and flossing before you go to sleep at night will allow your teeth a whole night without the attack of sugars.

Making smiles happen,

Your Davidson Family Dentistry Team