How Energy Drinks Impact The Health of Your Teeth!
If you love energy drinks like most people, you have probably heard that they can have something to do with dental erosion! But how true is this? Continue your reading and find out whether there is a connection between energy drinks and the health of your teeth.
According to a particular study, nearly 26% of Americans are currently plagued by dental erosion and tooth decay. Tooth decay may be caused by a number of potential reasons, ranging from your failure to regularly brush your teeth to drinking sugary substances. In this regard, energy drinks may especially play a significant role in the occurrence of dental erosion.
But what is dental erosion?
This is generally a condition that is strikingly similar to tooth decay and described in terms of your tooth enamel’s overall quality. In case you didn’t know, tooth enamel is the toughest tissue in the human body. However, this doesn’t necessarily imply that they are immune to damage. To put it simply, the enamel is the translucent substance that covers your teeth. It can be prone to staining, especially if you are a regular drinker of either red wine, tea, or coffee.
However, provided you take great care of your pearly whites through regular brushing and flossing, and also by honoring your routine dental appointments, your enamel will stay healthy. On the contrary, if you neglect your oral health, the chances are only high that your enamel will suffer, particularly if you regularly eat lots of sugary foods.
But why is this the case? It all has to do with the bacteria that reside in your mouth. These bacteria are always present in your oral region, whether you brush your teeth or not! However, the bacteria will inevitably become harmful when they have an abundance of food as well as sugary substances at their disposal. To be more precise, when you consume certain food and fail to brush your teeth, the bacteria will inevitably feed on the remaining food particles on your teeth.
And when this happens, these bacteria will release acid as a byproduct. If you continue to neglect your teeth even at this juncture, this acid will gradually begin to break down your tooth enamel. And bearing in mind that this process happens gradually, it will take some time for you to realize your teeth are getting damaged.
The dental erosion process explained:
As the acid continues to wreak havoc on your teeth, you’ll notice tooth sensitivity as the initial dental erosion symptom. Just as the name implies, tooth sensitivity occurs when you experience either discomfort or pain while drinking or eating cold or hot foods. It happens because your tooth enamel has undergone significant thinning, leaving your nerves exposed and becoming highly sensitive to temperature changes.
And if you don’t take your oral health seriously enough, your enamel’s quality will continue to deteriorate. Apart from the acid, the bacteria in your mouth also release plaque as the other byproduct. Plaque simply refers to the muggy film that envelopes your teeth but can be easily removed with an effective toothbrush.
But if you don’t eliminate it on time, it will inevitably transform into tartar, which is a hard substance that encloses your teeth and can only be effectively removed by a qualified dentist using specialized devices. Tartar is not only harmful to your teeth, can equally cause lots of irritation to your teeth, resulting in gingivitis as well. With increased and extended action of the acid on your teeth, you will not only feel lots of tooth pain, but may lose some of your teeth in the long run!
So, how do energy drinks cause tooth damage?
The popularity of energy drinks has skyrocketed in the last few years, driven by young people’s love for these tasty, sleep-depriving drinks. Unfortunately, many people aren’t aware that energy drinks feature lots of sugar. And both sugar and caffeine present in energy drinks help you to stay awake.
And while it might seem harmless to drink a few bottles of energy drinks throughout the day, particularly if you are looking to stay awake all day, the sugar content in energy drinks is not healthy for your teeth. As already explained, this sugar will invite the bacteria into your mouth, resulting in the production of acid which will ultimately damage your teeth. It’s also imperative to note that some types of energy drinks can cause more serious health concerns, including acid reflux. And the acid coming from your tummy will only continue to harm your teeth even further!
Of course, this doesn’t entirely imply that you should stop sipping your favorite bottle of energy drink! You only need to drink them moderately. And any time you do, make sure you drink plenty of water afterward to help wash off any excess sugar. Besides, always practice proper dental hygiene as well as preventive dentistry to enhance your oral health and overall health.
The Bottom line:
You now know that energy drinks are not good for your dental health. This is because the bacteria that reside and thrive in your mouth are sugar aficionados, and will produce acid after feeding on sugar, which can cause significant damage to your pearly whites over time. And energy drinks are harmful simply because they contain sugar, lots of it!
If you are looking for a dentist, HPS Advanced Dental Care would love to see you. Dr. Heather is gladly accepting new patients.
We are located at 4741 24 Mile Rd. Shelby Township, MI 48316, and we can be reached at (248) 652-0024. We look forward to meeting you!
