tooth sensitivity

The Dangers of Soft Drinks and Sport Drinks

When we think of active, healthy people, we normally envision athletes or someone with a gym membership. Most likely if you’re watching a sporting event, there is an ample supply of sport drinks available to the athletes. While these drinks are often intended to help rehydrate the athlete, they wreak havoc on our teeth.

The same goes for soda and soft drinks. Both sports and soft drinks contain sugars and acidic juices. When these combine with our saliva and are broken down for digestion, an acid byproduct is created. This acid is active on the tooth surface for about 30 minutes. Because it is in liquid form, drinks coat the tooth and reach into deep grooves and areas between teeth. When we have more frequent exposure to these beverages, our decay rate increases. Erosion of the tooth enamel also occurs during consumption of these drinks.(i)

A study done on triathletes showed that while only a small percentage of them perceived themselves at a risk for dental decay, over 80% consumed sport drinks and showed extremely high risk for decay.(ii) Surprisingly, some sports drinks are more damaging to the teeth than soft drinks.(iii) Most of the time these drinks are consumed on a frequent basis over a long period of time. This is a recipe for dental disaster!

So do we need to give up these drinks completely? Not necessarily. However, we should be drinking water more often than anything else. Water hydrates the body extremely well and helps the teeth by rinsing some of the naturally accumulating bacteria. Our body needs water and it’s one of the best things that we can drink. If you decide that you need to drink a sport drink or soda, limit the exposure to your teeth. This can be done first of all by not sipping on the drink over an extended period of time. Sipping causes the exposure to be spread out through the day, extending the time frame in which the teeth can be damaged. Drink all at once, preferably with a meal. By limiting the time that your teeth are exposed to sweet and acidic liquids, you will help decrease the tooth decay caused by those beverages.

If your teeth suddenly happen to become sensitive to the sweet taste of sodas or sport drinks, this is an early symptom of tooth decay. If you or your athlete is experiencing any of these symptoms, call McCarl Dental Group today at (410) 987-8800 or (301) 474-4144 to schedule an exam in our Millersville, MD or Greenbelt, MD location. You may also visit us online and print coupons for special offers at www.McCarlDental.com.

(i)Noble WH, Donovan TE, Geissberger M.; Sports drinks and dental erosion.; J Calif Dent Assoc. 2011 Apr;39(4):233-8.

(ii)Bryant S, McLaughlin K, Morgaine K, Drummond B.;  Elite Athletes and Oral Health.; Int J Sports Med. 2011 May 17.

(iii)Kitchens M, Owens BM.; Effect of carbonated beverages, coffee, sports and high energy drinks, and bottled water on the in vitro erosion characteristics of dental enamel;J Clin Pediatr Dent. 2007 Spring;31(3):153-9.

It is not uncommon to see a dramatic increase in dental cavities during college years. A diet high in sugar coupled with changes in personal hygiene are often to blame for the increase in tooth decay.

Tooth decay and dental cavities are caused by bacteria that are normally present in and around the teeth. These bacteria feed off the food you put in your mouth and love sugar. Today’s fast-paced college lifestyle is filled with fast food, sugar-packed coffees and sugary soft drinks. Even diet-sodas are very acidic and increase the predisposition toward cavities because bacteria thrive in an acidic environment. Byproducts of the bacteria in your mouth cause a breakdown of the adjacent enamel, starting a “cavity.”  Another risk factor for cavities are the changes in personal hygiene that often occur during college years.

Symptoms of cavities and tooth decay vary depending on the location and depth of the cavity. When a cavity is in its early stages, there may not be any symptoms. As tooth decay increases, it may cause tooth sensitivity or a toothache, varying degrees of pain when you bite down or when eating or drinking something sweet, hot or cold, visible holes or pits in your teeth, or generalized discomfort or pain in the mouth or jaw. A dental cavity will not get better on its own. If you’re experiencing one or more cavity symptoms, it’s time to see a dentist. At McCarl Dental Group we offer our new dental patients a discount of more than two hundred dollars for their initial dental cleaning , dental exam and necessary x-rays.

“Pit and fissure” cavities are the most common type of cavities. Back teeth or molars have natural grooves, fissures and “pits” on their chewing surface. Pronounced pits, grooves, or fissures retain plaque. Toothbrush bristles cannot reach inside to clean these deep pits and fissures further allowing plaque and tartar to accumulate. During college years, in young adults who do not floss their teeth regularly, we see an increase in interproximal tooth decay causing cavities in-between the teeth. Because of their location, most of the time interproximal cavities can only be seen with an x-ray.
Once a dental cavity is detected, the dentist removes bacteria and decay and fills the cavity to restore strength to the tooth.  In deep cavities, the nerve of the tooth may be affected by the bacteria, requiring additional cleaning of the infected nerve called a “root canal”.  Luckily, this occurs only in the deepest of cavities. Usually there are warning signs, such as a sensitivity to extreme temperatures or to sweet foods.

Preventing Dental Cavities
The first step in preventing cavities is to maintain good oral hygiene to minimize bacterial colonization. It is important to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss daily. The use of a fluoride rinse also helps by strengthening tooth enamel. You can also help prevent cavities by eating well-balanced, nutritious meals and limiting snacking. Maintaining your regularly scheduled dental visits for teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment by a dental hygienist not only helps prevent tooth decay, but the dental exam improves the likelihood of early detection of cavities and treatment with a small rather than large filling.

At McCarl Dental Group we recommend college students have dental exams with teeth cleaning by a professional hygienist every six months. We also recommend that young adults use a prescription strength flouride toothpaste. McCarl dentists recommend Colgate PreviDent 5000 Plus prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste.