Our Guelph Dentist Wants You to Be Aware of These Drinks That Can Hurt Your Teeth!

As an experienced dentist in Guelph, we at Guelph Village Dental want to see as many people as possible with healthy teeth - and there's a lot you can do in your day-to-day life to help protect your teeth. Simply being aware of how different activities affect your dental health can go a long way since it allows you to make smart choices about what you put in your mouth. One area of dental hygiene people often don’t think about is drinks. There are many drinks which can do damage to your teeth, particularly if drank in excess. These 4 are some of the biggest offenders.

Four Drinks That Can Harm Your Dental Health

Energy Drinks The majority of energy drinks are loaded with sugar. The extremely high sugar content of energy drinks makes them a leading contributor to cavities. Furthermore, many of these drinks have high acid content which can easily erode away the enamel on your teeth. Soda Pop Just about any sugary carbonated soft drink is downright terrible for your teeth. They're full of sugar and acids - it's basically a perfect storm of ingredients that can start eating into your teeth quickly. Drinking sugar-free soda reduces some of the problem, but not all. Cutting soda out of your diet entirely can make a big difference to your dental health. Coffee or Tea The issue with coffee and tea is that it can significantly stain your teeth. Both coffee and tea have a high concentration of tannins which are a plant-based substance that stick to the enamel of your teeth and cause dark stain. Tea usually has a higher tannin content compared to coffee. Another negative effect of coffee and tea comes from the sugar that many people add to their drink. Fruit Juice Yes, there are health benefits to drinking fruit juice, but the fact is that it's also going to be full of sugar, which we already know is bad for teeth. We won't tell you to cut fruit juice out of your diet, but we would suggest brushing your teeth after you have a glass.

How to Protect Yourself

Want to enjoy some of these drinks? Try:

• Sipping water throughout the day
• Using a straw to minimize contact with your teeth
• Chewing sugar-free gum, particularly xylitol-based gums
• Frequent tooth-brushing

Want to know more about how drinks can affect your teeth? Contact a dentist in Guelph with your questions! Like this post? Please share on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Facebook… or start a conversation by leaving us a comment! -30-