Study Warns Sugar-Free Drinks May Be Bad For Your Teeth

After testing 23 different types of sugar-free drinks, which include soft drinks and sports drinks, the researchers discovered that most soft drinks and sports drinks are causing the dental enamel to soften by between 30 percent and 50 percent.

Sugar-free drinks with acidic components are almost as damaging to teeth as sugary beverages are, say researchers from the University of Melbourne.

Dr Reynolds, therefore, leaves words of caution for consumers pertaining to the potential harm of sugar-free foods and drinks. “If it progresses to an advanced stage it can expose the soft pulp inside the tooth”, he explained via a news release. The researchers also found that many sugar-free sweets contain high levels of citric acid and can erode tooth enamel. These drinks included soda, flavored juices and flavored mineral waters.

Just because it is sugar-free, it does not mean it can not do some damage to your teeth. Sugar forms plaque on tooth surface that is digested by bacteria and converts it to acid.

Both sugar-containing and sugar-free soft drinks (including flavoured mineral waters) produced measurable loss of the tooth surface, with no significant difference between the two groups of drinks, the study found. The acid dissolves the teeth’s hard tissues, thereby causing dental erosion.

“The chemical mix of acids in some foods and drinks can cause the equally damaging condition of dental erosion”, lead researcher Eric Reynolds said.

“We’ve seen bad erosion in the teeth of children aged 2 to 3 years old, and signs of erosion in permanent teeth of older children”, he noted, adding that if children will keep drinking these beverages, they “are likely to need extensive dental treatment by the time they reach their teens”. This results in a chalkiness on the surface as well as pitting, opacity, increased sensitivity, and even other issues; all of which can be the result of acids-like phosphoric acid used in colas and citric acid found in lemon-lime drinks-used in beverages.

Sports drinks are not off the hook, either.

Reynolds recommends a very simple way to avoid dental erosion: “To give your teeth, or your children’s teeth, the best chance, water is always a better choice”.