Is Coke Zero bad for your teeth

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How to Protect Your Teeth When You Drink Diet Soda
Contact Wood Creek Dental in Greenville, South Carolina
What will happen if I drink Coke Zero everyday?
Is 0 sugar soda bad for teeth?
Does Coke Zero make your teeth yellow?
What soda is least bad for your teeth?

When most patients ask Dr. Diaz this question, they're thinking strictly about sugar content — cut out the bacteria-feeding sugar that's present in regular soda by opting for a diet soda and it will be better for your teeth. That seems logical, right? Well, there's a bit more to it than that. Let's take a closer look at how any kind of soda can affect your dental health.

Diet Soda – Why it can also lead to tooth decay

The main culprit in these drinks that leads to decay is the acid content. Diet sodas and other sugar-free drinks are usually highly acidic, which weakens the enamel on your teeth and makes them more susceptible to cavities and dental erosion. The level of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and/or tartaric acid is usually high in sugar-free drinks so it's best to avoid them.

Some patients also enjoy drinking orange juice or other citrus juices. These drinks are high in citric acid and have the same effect on the enamel of your teeth.

So what about regular soda?

We know the acidity of diet sodas and sugar-free drinks contributes to tooth decay, so what about regular soda? Like we alluded to earlier, regular soda is high in sugar — a 12 ounce can contains roughly ten teaspoons of sugar — and sugar feeds the decay-causing bacteria in the mouth. This also includes sports drinks and energy drinks, which are highly acidic and loaded with sugar too. So these drinks are a double-whammy of sugar and acidity your teeth and body simply don't need.

The problems caused by both diet and regular soda is exacerbated when you sip on them throughout the day. If you drink it all in one sitting, you won't be washing sugar and/or acids over your teeth all day long and your saliva will have a chance to neutralize the pH in your mouth.

The best beverages to drink and how to drink them

Drinking beverages that are lower in acid is a good step to take to keep your enamel strong. According to a study conducted by Matthew M. Rodgers and J. Anthony von Fraunhofer at the University of Michigan, your best bets are plain water, black tea or coffee, and if you opt for a soda, root beer. These drinks dissolved the least amount of enamel when measured 14 days after consumption of the beverage.

If you still choose to drink soda, diet soda, sugar-free drinks, or juices here are some other tips to lessen tooth decay:

Drink your soda or acidic beverages through a straw to minimize contact with teeth
Rinse with water immediately after consumption of the beverage
Avoid brushing your teeth between 30 minutes to an hour after drinking the beverage as this has been shown to spread the acids before your saliva can bring your mouth back to a neutral pH
Avoid drinks that have acids listed on the ingredients label

Still have questions about soda, sugar, and acid? Give our Orlando, FL office a call and we’d be happy to help!

Limiting how much sugar you consume every day can reduce your waistline, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a healthier mouth and body. Many people drink diet soda to help with weight loss, thinking it’s a better option. However, the acids contained in diet drinks are just as bad for your teeth as their sugary counterparts. Diet sodas may not contain sugar, but they typically cause the same dental erosion.

Both regular and diet soda weaken and dissolve your tooth enamel, which shows up as tooth sensitivity, chalky appearance, pitting in the teeth and opacity changes. It’s well-known that drinking soda or “pop” is linked to cavities, obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis. The sugar found in soda mixes with the bacteria in your mouth to form acids that attack your teeth. These “attacks” last around 20 minutes which restarts after each sip. Ongoing acid attacks on your teeth weaken your tooth enamel and make you more susceptible to tooth decay.

Diet and sugar-free sodas contain their own acids, though, which causes similar damage to your oral health. These additives lead to enamel erosion, and lime and lemon drinks are particularly harmful. Diet soda consumption is linked to abdominal obesity in adults over 65, which increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

An Australian study at the University of Melbourne tested 15 soft drinks to study their effects on healthy molars. Researchers found that all of the beverages, including regular and diet Coca Cola, caused tooth erosion, whether or not they were sugar-free. Another study at the University of Michigan found similar results. Two weeks of exposure to regular Coca-Cola caused tooth enamel to dissolve at 2.8mg, and diet Coca-Cola caused 3mg of enamel degradation. They also looked at the effects of citrus juices and other sugar-free drinks.

Both studies found that water was the most beneficial and actually hardens enamel. However, drinking soda or diet soda in moderation a few times a week poses less risk than drinking more than 12 ounces a day.

How to Protect Your Teeth When You Drink Diet Soda

Diet soda may be bad for your teeth, but there are several ways you can protect your oral health while still enjoying the occasional sugar-free drink:

Know When to Brush and Floss: Wait 30-60 minutes after drinking regular or diet soda to brush and floss your teeth to avoid causing more harm because the drinks soften your enamel.
Drink Diet Soda with Meals: The best time to drink diet soda is with meals and try to use a (reusable) straw to limit the acidic exposure on your teeth. Avoid diet soda before bed as well.
Avoid Citrus and Fruity Flavors: The studies mentioned above found that lime and lemon drinks caused the worst damage. Some went so far as to say the corrosive nature of lime and lemon juice is nearly as bad as battery acid. Root beer and tap water were found to be the least detrimental, followed by coffee and tea.
Stay Hydrated: Try to avoid drinking regular or diet soda every day or at least staying below 12 ounces a day. Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated and swish with water to dilute the acids and sugars in your mouth.
Have Bi-Annual Dental Exams and Cleanings: Regular visits with our Greenville dentists can catch tooth decay early, preventing costly dental work in the future.

Contact Wood Creek Dental in Greenville, South Carolina

Schedule your dental exam and cleaning with one of our experienced dentists today at (864) 288-5300. Wood Creek Dental serves patients in Greenville and surrounding areas of North and South Carolina.

What will happen if I drink Coke Zero everyday?

Drinking a reasonable amount of diet soda a day, such as a can or two, isn't likely to hurt you. The artificial sweeteners and other chemicals currently used in diet soda are safe for most people, and there's no credible evidence that these ingredients cause cancer.

Is 0 sugar soda bad for teeth?

Sugar-free sodas actually cause just as much damage to your teeth as a regular soda. Sugary drinks cause dental erosion, or the wearing down of your teeth's enamel and tooth decay, the leading cause of tooth loss. The acids in soda, even sugar-free varieties, react with the natural bacteria found in your mouth.

Does Coke Zero make your teeth yellow?

But the initial question was do clear beverages still cause dental staining and the answer is yes. Just because you drink a clear soda your teeth will get duller over time because those sodas and liquids still contain acids.

What soda is least bad for your teeth?

To reduce the damage to your teeth, switch from colas to less acidic sodas, especially root beer, which is much less acidic. The most acidic soda on the market however is 7UP Cherry. The least acidic sodas include Mountain Dew, Mug Root Beer, Sierra Mist, Sprite, and Welch's Grape Soda.