Even Some “Healthy” Soft Drinks Can Spell Trouble for Your Teeth

Here’s their message: Take it easy on soft drinks this summer.

With hot days and holidays, getaways, and outdoor activities with family and friends on the way, you’ll probably find yourself reaching more often for a cool drink. Unfortunately, many soft drinks spell trouble for your teeth.

It’s not just sodas. Energy drinks, sports drinks, juice and juice-based drinks, and flavored coffees and teas can cause just as much trouble. Many are sugar bombs, of course, and sugar feeds the bacteria that cause decay. These drinks can be quite acidic, too – even sugar-free versions. Acids destroy tooth enamel, providing an easy point of entry for oral pathogens into the living tissues of a tooth.

Last year, a study out of the United Arab Emirates sought to determine the erosive potential of popular soft drinks. Over 300 beverages were evaluated by using a pH meter to measure the acidity of each, including carbonated drinks, energy drinks, sparkling waters, iced teas, malt beverages, coconut water, and sports drinks. 

Almost all of the drinks had a pH under 4, the level at which tooth damage is likely. More than a third were found to be “extremely erosive,” with a pH under 3. Among those extremely erosive drinks were products such as Coke and Coke Zero, Arizona Arnold Palmer, Rockstar Punched, and – brace yourself – Lemon Pelligrino.

Yes, even some of the “healthier” options proved to be acidic.

But that’s in the UAE, you might be thinking.

It’s not so different here in the US. Back in 2016, JADA published a similar study. Of the 379 beverages tested, 93% had a pH under 4, with 39% found to be extremely erosive.

Notably, neither study looked at a couple other popular types of cool drinks that can damage tooth enamel: kombucha and smoothies. Like sodas, these drinks deliver a one-two punch of sugar and acid, putting teeth at risk.

So what to reach for when you need cooling hydration?

Flat fluoride-free water is always your best choice. It’s neutral, just like the pH of a healthy mouth. Why not sparkling water? Carbonation can make the water more acidic. If you drink bottled, non-spring water and aren’t sure which brands contain fluoride, this search tool can help you out.

If plain water sounds boring to you, why not zhuzh it up by infusing it with slices of whole fruit, vegetables, or herbs? This is a better option than adding fruit juice, which is concentrated sugar. (True story: Eight ounces of grape juice has more sugar than 8 ounces of Coca-Cola.) Here are some ideas to inspire your own infusions.

Another nice thing about making water your everyday go-to beverage? If and when you do decide to enjoy a tall glass of lemonade, say, or an energy drink or sweet tea, its flavor can be even more intense. In fact, the strength of flavor might naturally compel you to drink less of it. A little can go a long way.

If you do choose to consume soft drinks, it’s a good idea to use a straw, which will necessarily limit the amount of the beverage that comes in contact with your teeth. Once you’re done, rinse your mouth with water to cleanse your teeth.

Just don’t brush right away. Give your mouth time to shift back from acidic to neutral. Typically, it takes about 30 minutes. Brush sooner and you’re just brushing the acids into your teeth.

Let’s just say they’re none too fond of that – so not fond that they may eventually send you another message, not-so-secret this time: Our enamel is eroded, and some of us are decayed.

That’s not a message we want to receive either.