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Stop Drinking Soda to Save Your Teeth

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Our Mountain View, CA area patients know that soda can damage their teeth to the point where they will need dental implants.One of the most consumed beverages in the United States is soda. In fact, studies show that 50 to 80 percent of adolescents and nearly half of Americans of all ages drink at least one soda a day. What these people don’t realize is that soda is actually very bad for our teeth. Not only does its high sugar content harm our teeth, but so too do the acids used to carbonate it. These factors can degrade our teeth to the point where they will need to be removed, requiring dental implant treatment to replace them. Today, Dr. Donian Shen is blogging from Mountain View, CA to talk about soda’s effect on our teeth.

Defend Your Teeth from the Corrosive Properties of Soda

One of the main reasons for why soda is so bad for your teeth is the amount of sugar in it. Every time you drink soda, this sugar ends up plastered to your teeth. This sugar is dangerous because it attracts bacteria to your teeth that creates acid. This acid wears away at your teeth, eventually compromising them to the point where they will need to be removed. We call this tooth decay, and some symptoms of it include chronic bad breath, off color spots on your teeth, and toothaches.

Another reason for why soda is bad for your teeth is the carbonation. The carbonation in soda is brought about by acid. Much like the acid created by bacteria, this acid can eat away at the enamel of your teeth, wearing them down and opening them up to other dangerous oral conditions. Every time you drink soda, you are exposing your teeth to a 20 to 30 minute long “acid attack”. Enough of these acid attacks can drastically undermine your oral health.

If you cannot completely give up soda, there are ways you can continue to enjoy the beverage while making it better for your teeth. For instance, drinking your soda with a straw can prevent your teeth from getting a full splash of the stuff. We also recommend that you drink your soda quickly, as taking longer than 30 minutes can expose your teeth to a second acid attack. Lastly, we recommend drinking some water directly after your soda. By swishing water around your mouth, you can remove some of the sugar and acid from your teeth.

Call and Schedule a Consultation at Smile By Design

One of the best decisions you could make for your continued oral health is to give up soda. We understand that that can be a difficult endeavor, and if you can’t do that, then even limiting yourself to only 3 or 4 sodas a week can be a drastic improvement. If you do not work hard to save your teeth, you may end up losing them, resulting in a need for treatment with dental implants. If you would like to learn more about the effects of soda on your teeth and how dental implants can restore any missing teeth caused by it, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation with dental implant provider, Dr. Donian Shen, today.